Stay: A Rucas FanFic
by onceuponatime2011
Summary: What happens when another secret slips out? Takes place during and after the gang's senior year of high school. Rucas centric. Rated M for Chapter Nine ONLY. I'm terrible at summaries. Please no negative comments because you don't like the ship.
1. Prologue

**A/N: This is my first GMW fanfic. This is a Rucas fic, so no negative comments on the ship please. If you aren't a fan of them, you might not be a fan of this story. I've written several chapters already. I just wanted to gauge interest and also allow myself to modify some of the chapters for continuity sake. Please review. I will try to update often. :)**

Prologue

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

Riley Matthews sighed as she entered her bedroom of 18 years. She threw her purse in the general direction of her desk and flopped on her bed. Without looking up, she reached for one of the many pillows on her bed. Bringing it to her chest, she rolled over on her back and brought it to her face. Then she let a scream out. Frustration. Anger. Hurt. Then the tears started, which quickly became unstoppable as they streamed down her face. She rolled back over on her stomach, smothering herself with the pillow. Her long brown hair cascaded over her face, offering the perfect veil. No one would be able to tell that she was even awake, save for the muffled cries. She stayed that way for hours, it felt like. Her cries slowed, and although the tears still fell, they fell slower. She knew she had a choice now: anger or depression. Up until this point, she had chosen depression. She rolled on her back once more and looked up at the ceiling.

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

Her brows furrowed as she hurled the pillow towards her bedroom door. Anger. This time, she would try anger to see if she could get a different result. She stood up and went to her desk, turning her computer on. After a few clicks, she found what she was looking for. Music. Music always helped drive her moods, and if she was determined to be angry about this, she would need some motivation to get there. Sure, everyone thought Maya was the creative one, but music? Music ran through Riley's soul. She understood it more than she understood anything else in her topsy-turvy world. And it never let her down like-

"Stop it, Matthews," she hissed to herself. "It's day one. Day one in a new world. No looking back. You knew this would happen."

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

She turned and looked at the window. "Well, maybe one more day to wallow. That way I could—no. No, you have to start now." She walked toward her bay window and laid down on the seat, watching the rain slide down the glass. Normally she hated rainy days, but today, it seemed fitting. She sighed. What's one more moment of remembering? One last time to remember how it all happened and how she ended up lying on her window seat, all alone.


	2. Chapter One

**A/N: Thank you for the awesome feedback so far! Since the prologue was short, I decided to go ahead and post the first chapter. Feedback is greatly appreciated! As mentioned before, most of the story has been plotted out written, so I do know where I headed with this. I'm actually already kicking around ideas for a sequel, depending on feedback of course.**

Chapter One

Six months ago…

Happiness. That was the only emotion Riley would even entertain for herself as she lounged at her bay window, her back resting against the back of her best friend, Maya Hart. She was happy. Life was beautiful and had been going her way for…well…years. They were in their last semester of their senior year at Kennedy High. Riley had enough credits to only go to class half days, which made life a little better. As long as her grades stayed up, she was going to be salutatorian of their class. One of her other best friends, Farkle Minkus, was set to be valedictorian. Maya was going to graduate with honors, as well as Lucas Friar. ' _Lucas'_ , Riley sighed. He was just perfect. Perfect student, perfect athlete, perfect friend, perfect boyfriend. He was all her's. They did it the right way. They became friends, and remained friends for almost three years until they decided to take the next step in their relationship. And it was so worth the wait. It was the smoothest transition in the world. Whereas most of the other couples they knew had gone through breakups and makeups, they were solid. No drama, no issues. He was perfect for her. Riley looked over at her bed where a stack of letters laid. They had all received acceptance letters for various colleges throughout the country, but the four best friends decided that they would all stay in the city. Why mess with a good thing?

"Riles? RILEY," Maya yelled, snapping Riley out of her daydream. "Are you listening?

"Mmhmm," she mused. Continue."

Maya rolled her eyes, "So, as I was saying, we have to figure out the best dorm on campus. I'm so glad I got that scholarship so I can stay on campus. Commuting would've been the worst. Now I get to enjoy all the parties…you know…really enjoy the college experience."

Riley rolled her eyes. "College is about more than the parties, Maya. But yes, it's going to be amazing to live together!"

Maya looked around Riley's room. Clothes were scattered across the floor. Maya wasn't sure which ones were her's and which ones were Riley's. She laughed, "We practically already do."

"Since we were five," Riley agreed, "But to be out on our own for the first time, make our own schedules, concentrate on what we love to do. It's going to be perfect, Maya…just like high school was." Riley knew she was tempting fate for even mentioning how well things were going for her, but she didn't care.

The two friends daydreamed for a little while longer, before Maya's phone buzzed next to her, startling both girls. She picked up her phone and looked at her text messages, "Oh no," she groaned. She began to type a reply. _'Why did Riley have to jinx it,'_ Maya thought.

Riley's brow furrowed, "I'm afraid to ask." She sat up and turned to her best friend, "What's wrong?"

"Oh, a…n-n-nothing." Maya looked around nervously.

Riley lifted her eyebrows. She has never heard Maya stutter. Something bad must have happened. "Maya. What? Is it the guys? I thought they made it Pittsburgh safely. Lucas told me that they did about thirty minutes ago." Riley pulled out her phone, trying to see if there was any message from her boyfriend.

"No, it's not that Riley. It's nothing. I just…saw how late it was getting! Yeah, that's it."

Riley frowned. "Maya, its four o'clock in the afternoon." Riley eyed her best friend for a moment, trying to read her thoughts. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, let's just go back to talking about how happy you are." Maya's phone buzzed again, but before she could grab it, Riley snatched it away. "Hey! Riley, you can't look at my—"

Riley glared at her, "You look at mine all the time," she spun around to face away from Maya. She pulled up her most recent text message. It was from Farkle:

 _Farkle: Code Red. He got in. Not supposed to tell anyone. He wants to be the one to tell her. He's going to go._

 _Maya: Without even talking about it? This is going to kill her._

 _Farkle: Give her credit. She'll understand. This is his dream, Maya._

Riley spun back around to face Maya. "Explain please."

Maya stood up, "Riley, I don't think I should be the one to—"

"No! No…" she started pacing, "Who got into where? I'm not waiting on this one for the right person to tell me. Clearly, everyone has been keeping something from me. I need to know what's going on right now."

Maya stared at her best friend for a moment. Seeing Riley's resolve not to let this go, Maya sighed. Why did she always get stuck with delivering bad news to her? "Riles, Lucas got into some prestigious vet program in Texas. He never thought he would get in. It's one of the best programs in the country."

Riley's heart sunk. It took her a moment to process what Maya told her. "Oh," she slowly sat down on her bed. She looked at the ground for a few minutes, trying to contemplate everything. "He never told me," she said quietly.

Maya moved to sit next to her. She put an arm around Riley. "He didn't want to tell you and get you all worked up because he didn't think that he would get in."

Riley looked up at Maya, tears forming in her eyes. "What happens now?"

"I don't know."

"Texas is really far away," she said quietly.

"Riley, please don't do anything rash."

Riley leaned in toward Maya, resting her head on Maya's shoulder, letting the tears fall. "He didn't even tell me," she whispered.

* * *

Maya texted Farkle to warn the guys that Riley knew what was going on. She didn't fill them in on her reaction, because frankly, Maya didn't know how she was reacting. That was scariest part of this whole thing. She had always been able to read Riley's emotions. This time, she couldn't read anything. One good thing is that the boys were out of town when the news broke: a debate team trip to Pittsburgh for three days. Maya took Riley's phone away from her so she and Lucas wouldn't speak too soon, and Riley wouldn't say something she would regret. Oddly, Riley seemed more than ok about handing the device to her best friend.

She didn't speak much. Maya wished she knew what was going on in her mind. It was starting to worry her that her best friend wasn't being open with her. Maya filled Riley's parents in on what was going on, since Riley barely ate anything and only spoke when spoken to. The whole family tried their best to act normal around Riley. They picked Riley's favorite movie to watch on family movie night. Topanga made Riley's favorite meals.

Cory decided his best course of action was to not bring it up, he knew the last thing she wanted was to talk about it. It was driving him crazy with worry though. His only daughter, who always seemed so open to him, finally shut down. It scared him that even Maya couldn't break through her shell. A part of him wanted to hurt the guy who hurt his little girl, but he knew Lucas better than that. Cory always thought no one would be good enough for his princess, but he had to admit that Lucas impressed him. Cory respected Lucas more than he thought he would respect any young man who came around Riley. After Maya filled Cory and Topanga in on the situation, Cory still held Lucas in high regard. He understood why Lucas kept it to himself. On the other hand, he sort of knew what Riley was going through. Topanga almost went away for college. Granted, Cory knew she applied, though he forgot. Maybe it was just the thought of being apart that had her so withdrawn. Maybe things would be back to normal once the two teens talked it over. Maybe his little girl would be back to her positive, enthusiastic self and all of this would just be a bad dream.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

For the first time in her life, Maya was grateful that school was the next day. That meant it was Sunday. The boys would be back from their debate and she knew that the first thing Lucas would do would be to come see Riley. Maybe he can reach her since all of this was his fault. Maya bit her cheek. She couldn't really blame him though. He did have to think about his future. She was happy he got into the school, but at the same time she wished he didn't…for the Riley's sake. She looked over at Riley who was laying on her made bed, hugging her knees, staring off into space. She was dressed in yoga pants and a sweatshirt, her hair pulled back into a messy bun. Maya's phone buzzed. She glanced at it for a moment before sliding the phone back into her pocket. "Riles, they're coming over. Do you want to get dressed?"

She shook her head.

Maya sighed. "Want me to leave when he gets here?"

She shook her head again.

"You sure, Riley? This seems like a private—"

"No, she interrupted. Her eyes wondered over to Maya slowly. "No," she repeated, more firmly. She looked away.

"Do you want me to tell them not to come?"

Riley didn't respond.

"Riley, please talk to me. You're starting to scare everyone. Your parents are worried sick. I'm worried sick. You've never not confided in me." She sighed. "Just tell me what is going through your mind. I know this changes things, but is it really as serious as you're making it out to be?"

Riley frowned. Maya didn't understand. No one did. No one could know what this whole situation was doing to her. Was she being overdramatic? She didn't think she was. She was reacting the only way she knew how. This was the most serious thing she had ever been through and Maya didn't think it was serious enough? This changed her whole life. And she had no one to talk to about it who would understand. She just wanted to think. She wanted to be left alone.

Maya stood up and started to walk towards her best friend when she heard tapping on the window. She turned around and opened it. She didn't say anything as she let Farkle and Lucas in the room. She glanced at Riley and saw that Riley didn't budge from her seat or even acknowledge that they were here. Normally, she would sprint to the window to hug her boyfriend and start talking nonstop when they hadn't seen each other for more than a day. Maya knew this was going to be bad. Riley wanted her here though, so she wasn't about to leave, no matter how uncomfortable this fight was going to be. Fight. To Maya's knowledge, they never had a real fight…at least, not since they started dating. They both went into the relationship with eyes wide open, hearts wide open. It seemed to work for them, until now. "Hey guys," Maya half-heartedly greeted.

Once Lucas came into the room, he couldn't tear his eyes away from Riley. Her eyes were red, her nose was red, and her hair looked like it hadn't been brushed in three days. She was still the most beautiful girl Lucas had ever laid eyes on. He adored her and spent six years studying her. He knew her better than he knew himself. He was scared though. He had never seen her look this disheveled. This included the time that she had the flu. She looked so vacant, so lost. He hated that he wasn't the one to tell her about everything.

After a moment of uncomfortable silence, Maya cleared her throat. "So….how was the debate?" Small talk. Small talk was good, right?

"We won, as usual," Farkle replied proudly. He looked over at Riley and his smile faded. He had been in love with Riley forever. It took a lot for him to let her go a few years ago, but he knew she was in good hands with Lucas. He knew Lucas would protect her. Farkle didn't understand what the big deal was. Sure, they wouldn't all be together for the academic year, but it wasn't like Lucas was falling off of the face of the planet or anything like that. He was just going to Texas. As much as he didn't understand what was going on, he was upset that one of his best friends seemed catatonic. Maya kept him updated on Riley's condition. Unless Maya omitted something major, Farkle knew that Riley only spoke a few times and only when asked a direct question. He sighed. He wished he could help her.

Lucas snapped out of his trance and walked toward Riley's bed and sat down across from her. "Hey," was all he could think to say.

Riley didn't reply, didn't even look at him. Lucas wasn't used to that. She always acknowledged him, usually being the first to do so. She always smiled when she saw him, always made him feel like he was the only person in the room. Lucas could feel her slipping away from him. Fear started to settle in for him. He had tried calling and texting her the last few days. Maya had taken her cell phone and Cory wouldn't allow Lucas to talk to her over the phone, telling him that she was washing her hair. Apparently she washed her hair about fifty times over the weekend.

"Lucas, maybe you shouldn't be here right now," Maya bit her lip. She thought this would help Riley…seeing Lucas. She always lit up when she saw him, even after her grandfather died and through her tears, she was able to give her boyfriend a genuine smile when he came to be there for her. Maya was getting more nervous as she looked between her best friend and her best friend's boyfriend. So far, Riley hadn't acknowledged that he was even in the room.

"There is no way I wouldn't be," he replied, not tearing his eyes away from her. "Riley, we need to talk about this."

Farkle looked at Maya, "Maybe we should go?"

Riley looked over to Farkle, "No," she finally said.

"She wants us to stay," Maya told them. She really started to wish that Lucas hadn't stopped by. Riley's mood seemed to be getting worse the longer he was here.

"Riley," Lucas said. Riley shifted her gaze to Lucas. Lucas stared into her eyes for a few minutes. He saw it all: the sadness, pain, anger, disappointment. "Riley, I'm sor—"

"No," she interjected. She crossed her legs and looked down at her hands. "You aren't. You can't be." She took a deep breath. "I'm so proud of you, Lucas. I've heard you talk about that Texas A&M since…since we had our first real conversation in the library. I honestly can say that I've never been more proud of anyone in my life."

Lucas gave her a small smile. Maybe she did understand. Maybe everything would be ok. "Riley, I'm glad to hear you say—"

"I'm not done," she interrupted again. Riley took another breath, "At the same time, I've never been more hurt or disappointed in anyone in my whole life." She looked up at him. "You lied to me."

Lucas frowned, confused as to where this was headed. "Riley, I didn't—"

She lifted her hand up to silence him. "Let me finish. You had all the time in the world to tell me that you applied, but you didn't. You told Farkle, Maya, and everyone else in the world apparently…but me." She looked over at her friends. "I'm livid with you two as well and will deal with you both later." She cut her eyes back to Lucas. "I thought we were open with each other….I thought we were honest with one another. I told you everything…always. Things that I haven't even shared with Maya. And she's like a sister to me. I've been nothing but honest about everything: past, present, future. You know me. You know everything about me. You know me better than I think I even know myself, and it's because I've been 100% honest with you since day one. You; however, haven't been. You continue to keep things from me time and time again." She decided to get off the bed, her adrenaline pumping. She was so angry, she couldn't see straight. "I don't know who you are, Lucas," she paused, "Is your name even Lucas? Are you really from Texas? Are you really an only child? Or are you hiding some siblings from me too?"

Maya knew this wasn't going to end well. She didn't want Riley to say something she would later regret. "Riley, I think you're—"

Riley spun to glare at Maya. "I want you here, Maya, but I'm not about to be interrupted again. I've let you talk for the last three days. Now it's my turn." She looked back down at Lucas, who remained seated on her bed. Now it was him who wouldn't look at her. "I'm glad you got into that school, Lucas. It's going to make things easier."

His head snapped up to look at her. "What do you mean?"

Maya's eyes got big. ' _No way is she about to do this,'_ she thought.

"I-I'm done," Riley stated, her voice quivering slightly.

"W-w-what?" Lucas stood up in front of her. "Riley, you don't mean that." She couldn't possibly.

She laughed bitterly, "I do. I don't know who you are. After six years, you're still keeping things from me. I don't know you. I can't continue to open myself up to someone who just keeps shutting me out. School was a decision that I thought we would make together. You made it without me. So now, I'm making this decision without you." She walked past him toward the window. She opened it up. "You can go now." A tear slid down from her eye to her cheek. She wiped it away quickly.

Lucas stood there dumbfounded for a moment. "Riley, come on, this isn't that big—"

"Don't you DARE try to tell me that I'm overreacting or that this is not a big deal. It's the biggest decision we have faced and YOU decided to do it alone. I'm not going to be with someone who just makes these decisions without me. That's not what I'm looking for in a relationship or even a friendship. I deserve better than this and the fact that you don't see that only proves my point." She gestured toward the window. "Get. Out," her voice was low, but hollow.

Lucas walked towards Riley. He looked at the window and back at her. He took a step toward her. She took a step back and shook her head, silently warning him to stop. He took two more steps toward her and tried to embrace her. She tried pushing him away, and then started smacking his arms to get him to stop. "LUCAS! STOP! STOP IT!"

Cory and Topanga rushed into the room. "Riley, what is going on?" Cory stood in front of the teenagers, Topanga, already in mom mode, moved to where Riley was. Lucas backed off.

Riley was breathing heavy, tears that she had been trying to hold back were now streaming down her face. She looked at Lucas, her resolve stronger than ever. "Just leave," she croaked out.

Lucas's eyes began to tear up as he began to realize just how serious she was being. "Riley, come on. I—"

"Lucas," Cory put a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe it's time to go home."

Lucas turned to look at Cory. "Mr. Matthews, I never meant—"

Cory nodded. "I know, but you need to go." He looked over at Riley, who was sandwiched in between Maya and Topanga.

Lucas turned back to Riley: the girl he loved. The girl he dreamt about every night. He looked back at the window and decided to climb out of her room. Once out, he turned around and leaned in. He looked Riley in the eyes as tears streamed down his face. "I love you. Please remember that." With that, he turned around and climbed down the fire escape.

Riley's legs gave out as she sunk to the ground, sobs wracking her whole body. Topanga and Maya fell to the floor as well, trying their best to console her. Topanga rubbed Riley's back. "Oh sweetie…"

Maya held Riley. "Riley, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Farkle and Cory looked at each other. "Lucas got into-," Farkle began.

Cory nodded, "I know. Maya filled us in when Riley wouldn't speak with anyone."

Farkle gave him a small smile. "I guess I better go see how Lucas is doing." He walked over to the girls and leaned down to hug Riley. "I'm sorry, Riley. You should have known. I hope you can forgive me." He stood back up and went out the same way Lucas did.


	4. Chapter Three

**A/N: Thanks everyone for the reviews/follows! Some chapters are shorter than others. The last chapter was longer than I thought, so I know this one seems super short. Sorry about that!**

Chapter Three

Riley was never more grateful for her short schedule. Granted, she had two of her three classes with Lucas, but luckily, Maya was in one of those classes with them and Farkle was in the other. After giving them both a piece of her mind, Riley bargained with them. As long as they tried to keep Lucas away from her, things would be ok between them. She didn't want her personal life to become daytime television for her other classmates. The rumor mill swirled around anyway as word spread quickly that Riley and Lucas were no longer together. Some of the girls were already flirting with Lucas. Riley had a few guys she barely knew try to ask her out as well. She politely turned down all of them. Boys were the last thing on her mind. The only thing she was trying to do was to survive the last few months of high school. Things would be easier when she no longer had to see him every day. It was hard seeing him, hearing his voice in class, seeing other girls talk to him. She had to bite back tears more than once. She refused to give in to her depression while at school. She would only break in the safety of her bedroom.

Maya had practically moved in with Riley the first month after the breakup. She never wanted Riley to be alone. She didn't think Riley would do anything desperate. She just wanted Riley to have someone there for her, to comfort her. She felt like Riley's bodyguard. Lucas had tried to visit her more than once, and every time, Maya was the one to kick him out. She didn't want to. She kept trying to talk Riley into at least hearing Lucas out, but despite being miserable, Riley was not willing to hear him out. After the third time, Riley started locking her window. After trying to visit her two more times, Maya finally convinced Lucas that the best possible thing he could do was to just leave Riley alone. He stopped trying to visit her after that, but he wasn't about to give up on her, on them.

Farkle, oddly enough, was Riley's body guard those rare times Maya wasn't around, like when they were in AP English together. Farkle ended up switching seats with Lucas, so Farkle was now sitting beside Riley instead of behind her. He escorted her to and from class every day and made sure Lucas didn't try to speak with her. Farkle wanted nothing more than his two best friends to reconcile, but he knew that Riley just needed some time. He didn't want Lucas to alienate her any more than he already had, so he became a buffer between the two of them.

Lucas was in utter hell. He understood why Maya and Farkle were acting like Riley's guard dogs, but it didn't mean that he liked it one bit. He sent flowers to her house, which Auggie intercepted and gave to Ava. He wrote her a letter every day and always tried to sneak it in her locker after second period. After a while, he realized that Riley was just handing them off to Maya, unopened. He continued to write anyway. When word got out, a lot of girls Lucas didn't really know started talking to him. One day he saw Riley looking at him while Missy Bradford was talking about…something. He wasn't paying attention to what Missy was saying. He was focused on the brown eyed beauty staring holes into Missy and himself. Maybe she did still care? She seemed a little…jealous?

* * *

Mr. Maddox was discussing Wuthering Heights as Lucas was finishing his daily letter to Riley. He folded up the note and looked at the back of her head. Even the sight of the back of her head nearly took his breath away. Six years after meeting her, and he was still in awe of her. He loved everything about her: her brain, her quirks, her kindness…under normal circumstances, her optimistic view on life, her passion, her beauty—inside and out, and her soul. She was uniquely Riley and he had been hooked ever since that moment that she fell onto his lap. It had been six weeks since she kicked him out of her room and her life. He couldn't take it anymore. He saw her book bag on the back of her chair. He leaned over and started to unzip the bag, just big enough to slip the letter in.

"Mr. Friar," Mr Maddox called again. All of Lucas's classmates, except for Riley, looked at him expectantly.

"Hmm," Lucas asked. He didn't hear a word Mr. Maddox was saying.

"I was asking how you think Wuthering Heights would be different had Heathcliff and Cathy not been so stubborn?"

"Oh, umm…" he wracked his brain for a moment, before a thought came to him. If Riley wouldn't even hear him out, he would make her. He knew how to get to her, "Well, Mr. Maddox, if Catherine hadn't been so worried about what other people thought, maybe she and Heathcliff could have run off together and would've had a happy life together. Instead, all she cared about was trying to improve her station in life. All Heathcliff wanted was her. She seemed to care about what everyone else thought except Heathcliff." He looked over at Farkle who seemed completely confused by Lucas's comments. Lucas gave Farkle a sly smile. "I'm not convinced she even loved him come to think of it."

"Are you kidding me," Riley blurted out. "Mr. Maddox, if Heathcliff hadn't acted like a barbarian and had been more open with her and…oh I don't know…actually trusted her, maybe Catherine wouldn't have been so scared to be with him."

"Well," Lucas knew she would take the bait, "maybe if Catherine had been honest with Heathcliff with how she felt about him instead of running away—"

Riley was starting to get really heated. How dare anyone disagree with her opinion of Wuthering Heights…especially Lucas Friar? She turned to face him, fire in her eyes, "Well MAYBE if Heathcliff had been more honest about his intentions, and you know, actually have a real conversation with Catherine instead of sneaking behind her back and planning his future without even talking to her about it…" Riley trailed off as she realized that she was talking about what happened with her and Lucas as opposed to the book. She quickly spun back around and stared at the blackboard.

"I see," Mr. Maddox raised an eyebrow. "Ok, this is a great…conversation. A little off track, but the idea is still the same. Guys, I want you to break off into pairs and come up with an answer to this question. Presentations will be next Friday." He turned to Riley and Lucas. "Riley, Lucas…since you two feel so strongly about this, I want you to work together."

Lucas grinned. Riley frowned. Farkle looked back and forth between the two of them. _'Well played, Friar,'_ Farkle thought, giving him a small smile. They would have to work together. She would have to speak with him. And it's about  Wuthering Heights, her favorite book and a tragic love story…maybe Lucas can win her back.

The bell rang. Riley sprinted out of the classroom. Lucas couldn't get the smile off of his face.


	5. Chapter Four

**A/N: Thanks for the feedback and follows, everyone! It means the world to me. I'm not sold on the next few chapters, but I've done several revisions, and have finally reached the point of being content with what I've written. I am almost done writing the story. I will post chapter updates every few days, but I wanted to let all of you know, that this fic does have an ending...and a potential sequel.**

Chapter Four

"I can't believe I fell for that trap," Riley groaned to Maya as they sat by her bay window. "He baited me into that. We all know Mr. Maddox loves a good debate. I'm a moron."

Maya couldn't help but be impressed by Lucas. Farkle filled her in on the details about how Lucas orchestrated the whole thing. Maybe he was as smart as Riley always claimed. "Maybe it won't be so bad, you know? When are y'all meeting?" Riley didn't reply. Maya gave her a confused look. "Riles?"

Riley sighed. "I left before he could ask. Maybe we could just….not do the assignment?"

"Riley, you have to. If you don't, you won't be our salutatorian."

Riley shrugged. "I don't care."

Maya rolled her eyes. "You have worked hard for four years for that. Are you really going to forget about it just to continue to avoid him?" She couldn't believe Riley was so mad at Lucas that she would throw away the last four years of her academic career just to avoid spending one afternoon with him.

"Yeah." She looked down at her nails, trying to pretend that she didn't care that she would lose her spot as salutatorian if the assignment didn't get completed.

"That is the most ridiculous thing ever. Just do it, Riley. It's your favorite book. You know it backwards and forwards and could do the whole presentation in your sleep."

"What if I offered to do the whole assignment," Riley mused.

Maya scoffed. "Yeah….I highly doubt Ranger Rick would let you do that. Seems like he worked pretty hard to get the chance to talk to you. Just suck it up and do it." She put her arm around her best friend. "You've come a long way in the past month. You're talking now, you're starting to look ahead…you're strong. You'll get past it."

Riley sighed as she leaned her head down on Maya's shoulder. "I know it's ridiculous for me to still be upset, but Maya, we planned a future together. And we were together for three years. In high school terms, it's…forever. It's just going to take time for me to move on."

Maya nodded. She couldn't exactly related to her best friend's pain, but she was going to hold her hand through this whole thing. "Just the fact that you're saying you're going to move on is progress, Riles. You're strong. You'll get through this. Don't let him get to you."

She nodded. After a moment, her eyes widened, _'But he knows exactly how to get to me,'_ she thought.

* * *

Riley put off meeting up with Lucas for the assignment as long as she could. The assignment was now due the next day and she still didn't know how to keep things strictly business. She still ignored his texts and calls and would leave class before he had a chance to speak to her. She was starting to run out of options now. She finally pulled out her phone and sighed. Scrolling through her contacts, she found his name:

Riley: _Do you want to come over to work on the project?_

Lucas: _I was starting to think you'd never ask. What time?_

Riley: _Anytime is fine. I'll get started._

Lucas: _I'll be there in 15 minutes._

Riley laid her phone on her desk. She turned to look at Maya, "He's coming over now."

Maya clapped her hands together once and stood up, "Ok, I'll go to my place and grab some more clothes."

"Maya, please don't go." Riley didn't even want to see Lucas, let alone be alone with him. At least with Maya here, she could speak through a mediator and she wouldn't allow Lucas to stray from the topic at hand.

"Riles, you can do this. It's just a homework assignment. If he gets off topic, just bring it back to the book. You got this. I won't be gone long." Maya crawled out the window.

Riley sat there for a moment before standing up. She walked over to her mirror and checked her makeup and hair. She frowned. "Really Riley? You still want to impress him?" She spun around and walked over to her desk. She opened up her laptop and started playing some music from a new playlist she made the previous evening. She started bobbing her head to the beat as the chorus played. "You show the lights that stop me turn to stone. You shine it when I'm alone. And so I tell myself that I'll be strong, and dreaming when they're gone," she sang softly as she picked up some of Maya's clothes off the floor. She walked into her closet and threw them in the dirty clothes hamper. She walked back to her desk.

Lucas didn't make himself known right away. He stood and listened to her sing for a few moments. He smiled. His girl was still the same Riley she always had been. He tapped on the window. He watched her jump in surprise. He lifted the window open. "Can I come in?"

She nodded. She grabbed her copy of Wuthering Heights from her bag. As she did, a note fell out on the floor. She leaned down and grabbed it. Lucas smiled. "You can go ahead and read it if you want. That way at least I know you're reading my notes."

She frowned. "This is from you?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. I snuck it in your bag right before Mr. Maddox called on me the day he created the assignment."

Riley looked at the note for a moment before she laid it on her desk. "Why did you do that? You knew you were baiting me into that."

Lucas smirked. "Yeah, and I know Mr. Maddox loves a lively debate. How else was I going to be able to talk to you?"

She started thumbing through her book. "Let's just get through this."

Lucas looked around. "Where's your number one guard dog?"

Riley rolled her eyes. "She went home to get some clothes. She's been staying over a lot lately."

"I'm sure." He paused for a moment, "Riley, have you read any of my letters?" He walked toward Riley's dresser. He looked at her mirror and noticed that the picture of them from the Sadie Hawkins dance in 9th grade was still hanging up. Riley had asked him to the dance, but at the end of the night, Lucas had asked her to be his girlfriend. Farkle had taken the picture of them while they danced their first dance as boyfriend and girlfriend. It was truly a magical evening for them both. He smiled slightly. Maybe there was hope.

Riley didn't notice what Lucas was looking at as she was flipping through the book. "Maya has been taking them before I can see them. But…I told her to." She found the passage she wanted. "Can we please start now?"

Lucas turned away from the dresser, focusing his attention on Riley. "Ok. Just one more thing." Riley looked up at Lucas. "Please read that one."

She glanced at the note on her desk and back at Lucas. She noticed the change in his demeanor from playful to serious. "Why that one?"

"'Cause it's the last one."

She eyed him for a moment. "Really?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. I don't want to bother you anymore." After a moment of silence, he grabbed his book. "Let's get to work."

* * *

After working on the project for a few hours, Topanga brought the teens some pizza to eat while they continued to work. When Lucas excused himself to go to the bathroom, Riley looked back at where the note laid on top of her desk. The curiosity was getting to her. She had to know what it said. She unfolded the letter and took a deep breath.

 _Riley,_

 _I'm sorry. Not for getting into A &M, but for not telling you. I wasn't planning on telling anyone I applied, but my mom accidentally let it slip to Farkle. Of course, he accidentally told Maya, and you know the rest. I wasn't even thinking about applying or leaving the city until I went back to Texas last summer. I was working on my grandfather's ranch when Sophia, the horse I told you about when we were at the library six years ago, fell ill. My grandfather was waiting for the vet to come while I tried everything I could to alleviate her pain. Dr. Glonda came and told me that by keeping her calm, her heart rate slowed down to prevent a heart attack. I helped to save her life, Riley. After, Dr. Glonda took me aside and told me that he knew some of the people on the admissions board at A&M and that he knew I would get in, even without a recommendation. I never thought I would get in. I promised him I would apply for it, as long as he didn't pull any strings on my behalf._

 _Mom gave me the letter when Farkle and I were getting ready to leave for the debate. I know I kept this from you. I shouldn't have. I didn't want you to worry for nothing because I honestly didn't expect to get in. I just applied to appease my family._

 _I wish I would've told you sooner. I tried to. It's just when I came back to the city, I saw how excited you were about senior year and us all going off to school together that I thought it was for the best that I keep it to myself._

 _You mean the world to me Riley. You helped make me who I am today. Aside from not being honest about this, I'm proud of who I am, and it's because of you. You make me want to be an even better man. Six weeks ago, you threw me out of your life. It was a shock to my system. It honestly took me a week to comprehend what happened. I know I hurt you. I know that this changes things between us._

 _You've quoted_ _Wuthering Heights_ _to me for years. Now let me tell you what I've learned: "I cannot live without my life. I cannot live without my soul." I feel like I'm starting to know what those words mean._ _I'll do anything to try to gain your trust again. I'll do whatever it takes just to be in your life again. I'll do anything to talk to_ _you, to see you smile, to just get a look from you._

 _I love you, Riley. That will never change._

 _Lucas_

 _P.S. Something else I never told you: I believe in Pluto, too._

Riley's eyes watered as she folded the note up and laid it back on her desk. Lucas walked in and clapped his hands together once. "Ok, ready to finish this thing?"

Riley didn't turn to face him. "Yeah." She tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "Lucas, can you shut the door?"

"Sure," Lucas reached behind him and closed the door. "You know your dad is going to be in here in a few minutes, right?" She looked up at him. Lucas gave her a confused look until he saw that the note had moved on her desk. "You read it?"

"Sit down," she said. He sat in the bay window. She stood up and walked to the other side of her bed, sitting down so she was facing him. She couldn't look him in the eyes, not yet. "Lucas, I…I read the letter. I don't want…you shouldn't…I just…it's that I...damn," she swore, exasperated. She ran a hand through her hair. "Not talking to you for a few months has suddenly reverted me back to my 12 year old self. I just…" she paused and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry that I didn't read the other letters. You didn't deserve that." She cleared her throat. "I was hurt. I didn't know how to not be your girlfriend. I didn't…I don't…God…thank you. Thank you for trying to get through to me. That means a lot…that you didn't give up…on our friendship."

"Friendship," he echoed.

Riley wiped her eyes. "Ugh…sorry. Apparently once this starts, it's hard to stop…this whole crying thing." She wiped her eyes again.

"I'm sorry I'm making you cry," Lucas said quietly, looking away from her. He hated himself that he was constantly making her cry these days.

"This isn't your fault. I'm the reason I'm crying. Unfortunately, I inherited my dad's stubbornness. Lucas, I don't…I don't want you out of my life." She looked down at her hands.

"I don't want to be out of your life, Riley."

"You're one of my best friends…you have been for a very long time." Riley bit her lip. She looked up at him. "You're a part of me. That won't change." She cleared her throat. "I can't…we can't…" her voice cracked, "You and me…we can't…be romantically involved anymore. I can't go through the last few months again. I won't allow myself to. I know I'll have to say goodbye again when you leave." She looked around uncomfortably and took a shaky breath. "What I can do is move on. Not start over…cause I love our history. I'd never not want to remember our past. I just…can't…I can't not have you in my life. So…" she swallowed, "can we try…to be friends?"

Lucas smiled at her. "I wasn't even expecting that much, Riley. Yes. Yes, we can be friends."

Riley gave him a small smile. The first smile she had given anyone in a long time. "Good."

Lucas decided to push his luck. "So, Riley….prom is coming up…"

She rolled her eyes. "Lucas, I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Hear me out. What if we all went together? As friends. Farkle, Maya, you…and me."

Riley thought about it for a moment. She finally nodded. "Ok. Will make for some interesting pictures, but I think that would work."


	6. Chapter Five

_**A/N: Thanks for the feedback and follows everyone! The song used in this chapter is "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles. I was listening to Pandora while finishing the edit on this chapter when this song came on and I KNEW I had to use it for a part of this chapter. Completely random, but it seemed to fit perfectly with the scene and (in my opinion) made the chapter a little better. Hope you guys enjoy it. :)**_

Chapter Five

The music was blaring, the decorations were shimmering, and the lights were flashing. It was definitely prom. The four friends walked in, each taking in a different sight. Maya was looking at all of the lights. Farkle was looking at the stage where the prom king and queen's crowns laid. Riley was staring at all of the DJ equipment by the stage. Lucas was only staring at Riley. She was breathtaking. Her dress was similar to the one she wore when they went on their first date. It was purple, it had sequins. This dress was floor length, with a slit up to her thigh. The back of the dress dipped down to the middle of her back, while the front had more of a conservative scoopneck. She curled her hair and had it pinned up, a few tendrils dangling down to frame her face. Lucas was snapped out of his daze by someone nudging him.

"You might want to put your eyes back into your head," Maya teased.

He looked at her for a moment, before looking back at Riley, who was wandering toward the DJ equipment. "What are you talking about, Maya? We are just friends."

Maya laughed. "Are you kidding me, Ranger Rick? I know you're in love with her."

"It's true," Farkle added. "It's kind of obvious, Lucas."

"What are you guys talking about?"

Maya ignored him. "If you keep staring at her, the whole school will know too. And that includes Riley. You want to make it awkward?"

Lucas shook his head. He tore his eyes away from Riley and sighed. "So, what do I do?"

"Try not to be so obvious," she said matter-of-factly. She pat his shoulder and headed toward the topic of their conversation.

"Yeah, Lucas," Farkle chimed in. "Let's go check out the food."

* * *

Riley was in awe of the equipment in front of her. "Maya," she began when she felt the blonde walk up beside her, "This is amazing."

Maya shrugged. "Every DJ in New York has a set up like it…a bunch of cables, a few laptops, some turntables. No big deal."

"It's so cool," Riley smiled. The girls watched as the DJ walked toward the dual laptops, getting ready to start his first set. Riley cleared her throat to try to get the DJ's attention. Maya raised her eyebrows at her normally timid friend. This dress apparently came with a lot of confidence. "Excuse me," Riley called out.

The DJ smiled. "What's up? Got a request?"

Riley gave him a smile. "No…I was actually wondering if maybe I could try it?"

Maya liked this Riley. Confident, willing to take a risk. Maybe she was finally rubbing off on her.

The DJ laughed. "You love mixing music?"

"I love music," she replied. "I've been thinking about majoring in it when I go to school in the fall."

"Oh, really," he crossed his arms, "Where you going?"

"NYU in the fall…" she waved her arm between herself and Maya, "We both are."

"Me too. I'm a junior." The DJ leaned down to where the girls were. "My name is John," he stuck out his hand.

Riley shook it. "I'm Riley. This is Maya."

"Nice to meet you both," he said as he shook Maya's hand. "And yeah, let me get through this first set and I'll show you how to work it."

She grinned. "Awesome! Thank you so much!" Riley turned to Maya. "This is going to be amazing!"

Maya put her arm around her best friend. "DJ Matthews spinning the records and breaking the hearts."

Riley rolled her eyes. "Oh, please."

"You know you look hot. Never in a million years would you have done that if you weren't wearing that dress," Maya teased. "Uh…Ranger Rick can't keep his eyes off of you."

"We are just friends, Maya."

Maya nodded, "sure," she replied sarcastically.

"We are. He's going away in the fall. What's the point in setting ourselves up for THAT heartbreak…again?" The girls made their way to the punch bowl. "And besides, you're the perfect prom date." She leaned in and kissed Maya on the cheek.

"Aww, gee, Riles. You know just the right things to say to make a girl blush." They laughed as they each got a cup of punch. The both started bobbing their heads to the beat of the music that John was now playing. "So….nothing at all with you and Ranger Rick," Maya mused.

"Nope," Riley said, still bobbing her head to the beat of the song, "Why are you asking again?"

"Cause….ah….Missy Bradford is all over him," Maya grabbed Riley's arm and spun her around to see Missy draped all over Lucas.

Riley's smile fell. She blinked several times before she replied, "Oh. Well…g-g-good for her, I-I-I guess." Stupid boys. Stupid girls. Stupid everyone. "Maya?"

"Yeah?" Maya set her cup down.

"I wish the world was just me and you," Riley looked down.

"Then it is," Maya smiled at her sadly, remembering the last time Riley told her that…the last time that Missy tried to get to Lucas. She sat her drink down and put her hand on Riley's shoulder. "Come on. It's prom. You can't be sad at prom."

"I-I'm not." She looked back up. She was going to enjoy her night. She wasn't going to let anything get to her tonight. She looked around. "Let's dance."

* * *

The girls danced to two songs, before DJ John decided to slow it down. More people slowly filtered onto the floor. Maya and Riley looked at each other and shrugged. Riley put her hands on Maya's shoulders and Maya put her hands on Riley's hips. "Thank you for always being there for me," Riley told her.

"You'd do the same for me," Maya replied.

 _Something always brings me back to you.  
It never takes too long.  
No matter what I say or do I'll still feel you here 'til the moment I'm gone._

"May we cut in," a familiar voice asked behind Riley. Riley and Maya looked at each other before they stopped dancing. Farkle grabbed Maya's hand, twirled her around, and then brought her in close as they began to sway to the music. Lucas looked down at Riley and gave her a small smile. "Shall we," he offered his hand and bowed slightly toward her.

 _You hold me without touch.  
You keep me without chains.  
I never wanted anything so much than to drown in your love and not feel your reign._

Riley thought seriously about declining the offer, but she made a promise to herself to have fun tonight and to not analyze anything. She placed her hand in his. The both felt a small jolt…the same jolt that they both felt every time they touched each other. It was something neither of them got used to, but something neither of them wanted to get used to. It was always uniquely them, and strangely comforting. Lucas brought her in close as they started to sway to the music. Lucas closed his eyes. "You look beautiful," he whispered.

 _Set me free , leave me be. I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity.  
Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be.  
But you're on to me and all over me._

Riley's breath hitched as she felt him whisper in her ear. It felt like it reverberated throughout her whole body. "T-Thanks," she stammered. "You look very handsome tonight," her gaze drifted over to the food table where she felt a pair of eyes burning a hold into her. "And clearly, I'm not the only one who thinks so."

 _You loved me 'cause I'm fragile.  
When I thought that I was strong.  
But you touch me for a little while and all my fragile strength is gone._

Lucas saw where Riley's attention was focused. "Am I dancing with her?"

"You could if you wanted to."

"I know that," he paused, "I don't want to."

 _Set me free, leave me be. I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity.  
Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be.  
But you're on to me and all over me._

Riley swallowed. She was starting to think that being this close to him was probably not the best idea. "She looks….very pretty tonight."

"She's ok," he smiled, "But she can't compare to you," he leaned back so he could look Riley in the eye. "Riley…"

 _I live here on my knees as I try to make you see that you're everything I think I need here on the ground.  
But you're neither friend nor foe though I can't seem to let you go.  
The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me down.  
You're keeping me down, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah  
You're on to me, on to me, and all over...  
Something always brings me back to you.  
It never takes too long._

"Lucas," she breathed. They stood close to one another…too close. One step closer and their lips would touch. Riley could feel him breathing as time seemed to stop just for them. They just stared at each other as the song ended. The DJ changed it back up to a fast paced song, but Lucas and Riley didn't notice as they just looked into each other's eyes, both lost in thought and in each other.

"Ok, Riles, your turn with Farkle," Maya interjected as she and Farkle stood next to them. "I need a little break from all the dips and spins." She looked back and forth between them. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No," Riley said, snapping out of her trance. "That's fine. I owe him a dance anyway."

* * *

Riley wasn't intentionally avoiding Lucas, though it felt that way to him. She danced the next four dances with Farkle, a record for anyone as far as he knew. The DJ took a break, but Riley spent the break on stage with the DJ, looking at the equipment and computers. He never kept his gaze off of her. He couldn't help it. She looked so happy standing up there.

When the DJ announced that Riley was going to spin a few songs, Lucas was floored. He knew she loved music, but DJing? This woman never ceased to amaze him. He stood next to Farkle and Maya as Riley stood on the stage, headphones pressed against her ear as she began the next song. After a few minutes, she starting messing with the beats, a little hesitant at first. She closed her eyes and let the music take her away as she got more confident with the mixing she was doing. After she finished, she handed the headphones back to the DJ, thanked him again for letting her try it out and then practically jumped off the stage in excitement. She couldn't keep the smile off of her face. It was one of the first times Lucas had seen a flash of her real smile since they broke up.

"How bad was that," she asked when she finally reached the group.

"That was awesome, Riley," Farkle told her. "I didn't know you could do that."

She was practically glowing. "Neither did I. It felt….right."

"You were great, Riles," Maya smiled.


	7. Chapter Six

_**A/N: I completely rewrote this chapter from what I had originally intended. It got so long that I also had to split it into two separate chapters. I'm hoping to update the next chapter over the next few days. The song used in this chapter is Sleeping At Last's "Turning Page".**_

 _ **Also, Floridianfan, you know...I wanted to give Riley a "thing". Farkle has science, Lucas has sports, and Maya has art. Riley needed a "thing" and it was the first thing that popped into my head. I can totally see her getting into that, especially after seeing TOT a few weeks ago. That girl always has a melody in her head. :)**_

 _ **And Winter Skystorm, your reviews totally made my day! I feel totally blessed and honored that you're liking what I'm writing. I don't feel pressured AT all...haha! ;)**_

 _ **Everyone else: thank you, thank you, thank you for the kind words and follows and favorites. You guys inspire me to keep going with this. I dedicate the next two chapters to all of you because after reading the reviews on the last chapter, I felt inspired to write a little more about their prom night.**_

* * *

Chapter Six

After John's next set, Riley and he began talking about NYU and the various clubs and classes that catered to people who were interested in DJing. They talked music for about ten minutes before Maya came up to them, annoyed.

"Can we go now," she complained. "I'm bored and so ready to hit up some of these after parties. I hear that Traci Simpkins rented out an entire hotel floor somewhere. Oh, and that Steven Michaels' parents are out of town, so he has free reign of his place."

"So?"

"His parents have a pool, a hot tub, a private movie theater, tennis courts, and I hear a private club…all in his HOUSE, Riley. We have a lot of options tonight. So, let's bail and start the real party." Maya grabbed her arm and turned to leave.

Riley didn't budge. "We will…after they announce Prom King and Queen."

Maya rolled her eyes. "Seriously? That's so lame, Riley." She looked over at John. "Back me up."

John shrugged. "This is between you two."

"It's tradition, Maya," Riley told her, "We have all night to celebrate."

Maya considered it for a moment. What was twenty more minutes going to hurt? Riley and she had free passes to stay out all night. Maya shook her head in disbelief…that couldn't be true. "Remind me how you convinced your dad to let us stay out without a curfew?"

"Mom and I tag teamed him," she said proudly. "We are going to be on our own in a few months and I promised to text them every hour to let them know that we're ok." Riley smiled at her friend. She could tell that Maya was impressed with her negotiating skills. Sure, it was mostly her mother who convinced her father, but still…she was there and added the occasional "yeah" to the conversation for effect.

The principal came on the stage, an envelope in his hands. He tapped the microphone twice to make sure it was on. "Good evening, everyone. I hope you all are enjoying prom. I'm here to announce this year's king and queen."

Everyone turned to listen to the results. Maya linked arms with Riley. She had her suspicions on who was elected, as she knew that Riley suspected the same, but if Riley insisted on watching this unfold, then Maya was just going to be there for her.

"I'll announce the king first," he opened the envelope, "Your prom king is…Lucas Friar." Everyone cheered as the spotlight flashed over the crowd, searching for Lucas. It finally landed on him, standing next to Farkle and some of the guys on the baseball team with him.

"What a surprise," Maya said sarcastically. "Ranger Rick was born to be prom king."

Riley ignored Maya's comments as she continued to clap for him as he made his way to the stage. The principal's secretary placed the crown on his head as he smiled sheepishly at everyone.

The principal cleared his throat. "And your prom queen this year is…" he opened the second envelope, "Missy Bradford."

Everyone clapped for Missy except for Maya, who just stood there and rolled her eyes. _'Yep, totally predictable. Head cheerleader and the baseball star. Who would have seen that coming?'_ Riley clapped her hands together slowly three times before lowering her hands as Missy stood next to Lucas on the stage, crown firmly placed on her head.

"And now, the king and queen will share a dance."

Riley took a deep breath as she watched Lucas and Missy make their way to the middle of the dance floor. John took his place back behind his equipment as he began to play the song that the senior class voted on for the prom king and queen to dance to.

As the first notes of the song began, Maya groaned. "You have got to be kidding me." She looked over at Riley, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "You want to go? Go outside, go to the limo, go to Hawaii? I hear it's beautiful this time of year." When Maya didn't get an answer, she waved her hand in front of Riley's face. Riley didn't notice. She seemed to be a million miles away.

 _I've waited a hundred years  
But I'd wait a million more for you  
Nothing prepared me for  
What the privilege of being yours would do_

Riley tried to swallow the lump in her throat as she watched Lucas and Missy began to dance. She didn't notice him trying to keep her at arms' length apart. She _did_ see Missy take two steps forward and curl herself up in his arms. She didn't notice Lucas barely touching Missy's waist as they slowly turned. She _did_ notice that his hands were, in fact, on her waist.

 _If I had only felt the warmth within your touch  
If I had only seen how you smile when you blush  
Or how you curl your lip when you concentrate enough  
Well I would have known  
What I was living for all along  
What I've been living for_

Lucas made eye contact with Riley as Missy and he slowly turned around. He didn't want to be here, dancing with Missy. He didn't want Riley to see him dancing with Missy. He wanted to be anywhere other than where he was. He was tempted to stop the whole charade right then and there, but he knew that it would just cause a scene with Missy. He wasn't up for that drama.

When Lucas and Riley made eye contact, Riley blinked back the tears that she knew were coming. She managed to force herself to give him an encouraging smile. She held her breath the whole time he looked at her. She knew if she took a breath, the tears shimmering in her eyes would trickle down. She tried not to get in lost in his eyes, but it was so easy to do…in this moment, she almost felt like she could be in his arms, enjoying this moment, instead of feeling like a thousand knives stabbing her all at once.

 _Your love is my turning page  
Where only the sweetest words remain  
Every kiss is a cursive line  
Every touch is a redefining phrase_

Missy sensed who had Lucas's attention as she felt him stiffen up even more than he was when they first started to dance. She took the lead and spun them back around so she now faced Riley. She glared at her for a moment, before giving her a triumphant smile. She moved her hand to the back of Lucas's neck where she began to rub the hair there.

Riley couldn't hold her breath in anymore. Missy was rubbing Lucas's neck…the same way that Riley did when they dated. Riley knew that Lucas loved that because it always sent a shiver through him. She loved having that effect on him. Tears streamed down her face now. She couldn't take much more of this.

"Riley," Maya put her arm around her friend. "Do you want to go?"

"No," she looked at Maya and gave her a small smile, "I need to see this." She looked back at the couple on the dance floor. "Besides, we came with him. It would be rude to ditch him."

 _I surrender who I've been for who you are  
For nothing makes me stronger than your fragile heart  
If I had only felt how it feels to be yours  
Well I would have known  
What I've been living for all along  
What I've been living for_

Maya couldn't believe what she was hearing. Had Riley completely gone insane?! "No, it's rude that they're out there dancing to—"

"I know what they're dancing too," she said softly. "The senior class voted on it. It's not his fault."

"Riley, this is too much." Maya was getting more and more agitated. "This was your song!"

Riley didn't say anything as she continued to watch Missy grope Lucas on the dance floor. Sure, she wasn't grabbing his ass or anything, but she was touching him in a spot that Riley had always considered pretty intimate. And to do that while they danced to their song, no less. After a moment, Missy finally moved her hand back to his shoulders. Riley took a steady breath.

 _Though we're tethered to the story we must tell  
When I saw you, well I knew we'd tell it well  
With a whisper we will tame the vicious seas  
Like a feather bringing kingdoms to their knees_

Riley turned to Maya and wiped her eyes. "It's not our song anymore. Now it's their song. Now it's the prom king and queen's song." She sniffed a few times. "No, I don't want to talk about this. I just want to get out of here. I want to go to the after parties and have fun and not talk about this."

"So, let's go," Maya smiled.

Riley wiped her eyes one last time and then smiled at her friend.

* * *

Maya decided that they would go Steven Michaels' party first. She told the others that it showed the most promise, but if it was lame, then they would go to the hotel Traci rented out. The girls made Farkle and Lucas ride up front with the limo driver as the girls changed into more comfortable outfits. Maya wore jean shorts with a yellow laced spaghetti strap top while Riley changed into a sky blue strapless dress that fell just a few inches above her knees. She slipped on a white military jacket since the air was a little crisp. When they got out of the limo, Lucas offered his hand to help her out of the vehicle. She glanced at Maya, who then took Lucas's offered hand. Riley looked over at Farkle. He smiled at Riley as he stuck his hand out. She took it as she got out of the vehicle.

As soon as Riley stepped inside, someone handed her a red solo cup with beer in it. Almost immediately, Lucas took it out of her hand and sat it down on the table next to them. "Sorry about that," he told her.

"Why did you do that?"

Lucas raised an eyebrow at her. "I figured you wouldn't want to drink. I've never seen you—"

"Yeah? Well, it is prom night. Got to celebrate it somehow, right?" She looked over at Maya. "Let's get a drink." She grabbed her hand and headed off to the kitchen.

Lucas stood there for a moment, dumbfounded. "Farkle?"

Farkle shook his head. "I feel like we are going to have to keep an eye on them tonight."

"How bad do you think this is this going to get?"

Farkle shrugged as the guys began to head in the direction of the girls. "We've never been in this situation before."

* * *

"Well, not a fan of beer," Riley said after sipping the semi-warm drink. She sat the cup down next to her. Maybe this whole drinking thing wasn't as cracked up as it seemed to be.

"I didn't think it was that bad," Maya said as she finished her drink.

"Try this," Steven told the girls, handing each of them a jello shot, "I think you'll like these."

Riley shrugged, "I like jello." She tilted her head back and shook the cup so the jello could come out. "Mmmm," she said after finishing it. "That, I like." She put the cup down as Farkle and Lucas made their way into the kitchen.

"Riley, are you sure about this," Farkle asked her.

"Yep," she replied. "I've been one of the good kids my whole life. For one night in my high school career, I want to do something….something that…" she looked over at Maya, "Something that Maya would do."

"Hey!"

Riley smiled at her. "You know it's true."

"Yeah, ok," Maya relented.

"Hey Steven, can I have another one?"

"Sure Riley...have as many as you want," he opened the fridge to reveal it was full of jello shots. "If you get tired of that, I have a bar in the basement by the pool and you saw the keg already." He smiled at the group before heading off to another room.

Riley slid off her stool and went to the fridge. "You guys want one?"

"No, I'm good," Farkle told them.

"Yeah, someone has to keep an eye on you two," Lucas added.

Riley slammed the refrigerator door closed. The last thing she wanted tonight was 'Lucas the Good' to tell her how to behave or regulate what she wanted to do. "We don't need a babysitter."

Lucas looked down and saw her holding half a dozen jello shots. "You sure about that," he laughed.

"Just let me do what I want," she told him. "Babysit, or don't babysit. Either way, you aren't going to tell me what to do tonight." She sat the shots on the kitchen counter except for one. She leaned her head back as the jello slid out of the cup and into her mouth.


	8. Chapter Seven

_**A/N: Two chapters within 24ish hours?! Crazy! This is the second half of the chapter that I had completely rewritten. I am definitely more pleased with the story now and how it's all finally coming together. I know some of you might be upset with how I had Riley drink alcohol. I have my reasons for it, as you will read in this chapter. If you've seen "Boy Meets World", you'll understand the parallels and references. Just stick with me guys, there is a method to my madness. All of you fabulous reviewers/followers/readers are my muse. 3**_

* * *

Chapter Seven

Riley shot up in her bed, then groaned in pain, grabbing her head. "My head," she whined.

"Shut up," Maya growled beside her, holding her own head, trying to block out the sun's rays. "Turn down the sun."

"What happened," Riley asked, laying back down. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. She felt awful.

"We got drunk last night."

Riley laid there for a few moments, trying to piece together the rest of her night. "I remember dancing. A lot of dancing."

"Yeah," Maya slowly opened her eyes, "I remember us dancing together at Steven's."

"We made Farkle dance with us," Riley smiled.

"I remember that he looked scared. Guess he couldn't handle the Farkle sandwich that he always dreamed of," Maya grinned at her friend. "I remember you dancing with Ranger Rick."

Riley stared straight ahead as she searched her memory, "We both did…at the same time. We called it a Lucas sandwich."

"I remember something else," Maya said as raised an eyebrow at her best friend.

Riley looked at her, panicked, "Oh God, what?"

"You tried to kiss him."

Riley's eyes widened. "I did?!"

Maya nodded. "I don't remember if you actually did or not, but I definitely remember you dancing pretty close to him."

Riley groaned and covered her face with a pillow. Even on her night off from life, she managed to screw things up.

* * *

Riley sat on her bed, staring at her phone's screen when someone knocked on her door. "Come in," she called, then immediately cringed. She still had a horrible headache. She tried to hide it when she saw that it was her mother. "Hey mom."

"Hey," Topanga told her as she sat across from her on the bed. She looked around. "Where's Maya?"

Riley moved her phone beside her. "Shower. I figured I would be a good hostess and let her get ready first."

Topanga smiled at her daughter. "How was your night?"

Riley paused, trying to find the right word. "Interesting," she finally decided.

"Oh? How so?"

"Well, believe it or not, I actually got to DJ for a few songs."

"Really? I had no idea you were even interested in that."

"Me either. I've always loved music, but I just saw all of that equipment and the DJ who was there was so nice. He talked to me about some of the clubs and music classes at NYU. He's a student there. He even gave me his number." Despite her fuzzy memory of the previous evening's events, she remembered every second of standing on that stage, controlling the music. It was a rush that she had never felt before.

"Really?"

Riley gave her a look. "Not like that, mom. He just wants to help me plan out my classes for the fall."

Topanga pursed her lips together. She knew what she wanted to talk to her daughter about. She was just trying to get Riley to mention it first. "What else happened?"

"Uhh….Lucas won prom king."

Topanga nodded. "That's good…right?"

"Yeah…sure," she shrugged. "Well it would have been if Missy Bradford hadn't won prom queen. They had to dance together to a song the senior class voted on."

Topanga eyed her daughter. "And that's bad?"

Riley looked down. "They had to dance to the song that used to be Lucas and my's song."

"Oh. I bet that felt awful."

Riley spaced out for a few moments, her thoughts drifting to how it felt like she was dying when she saw them dancing together. It was like a train wreck. She couldn't look away. And now the memory was seared into her brain. "You have no idea."

Topanga stared at her daughter for a few minutes. She knew Maya would be out of the shower soon. This conversation had to stay on track. "How much did you drink?"

Riley's head snapped up as she looked at her mother. She was taken completely off guard by that question. "W-W-What are you talking about….mom?"

Topanga rolled her eyes. "I know you drank last night. I heard you when the guys brought you two in this morning." They were stumbling and giggling and making a lot of banging noises. Topanga also heard how exhausted the guys seemed to be. Topanga reasoned that they must've taken care of the girls the whole time.

"Oh God," Riley hid her face in her hands. "Does dad know?"

She shook her head. Luckily for Riley, her father was always a sound sleeper. "No. And he won't know as long as you promise not to do that again at least until it's legal. Ok?"

"No worries about that one. I am not ready for all of the consequences." Riley moved her hands back down.

Topanga chuckled at her at her eldest child. "You are your father's child."

"What do you mean?"

Topanga sighed. "When your father and I broke up our senior year of school, he and your uncle Shawn went to a party one night. They both got drunk."

"Really?" Riley had never heard a single story about her dad ever drinking.

"Yeah. I suspect the reason you drank was the same reason he did."

"What reason is that?"

Topanga moved her hand to rest on her daughter's. "You're tired of being miserable. You wanted a night where you didn't have to think about everything you've been going through."

"It's scary how well you know me."

"It's my job. Riley," Topanga paused for a moment, "You know, I've been trying to stay out of this whole Lucas thing, but I feel like I need to tell you something."

Riley had noticed that both of her parents were abnormally quiet when it came to the situation with Lucas. They both had always been pretty vocal when it came to anything in her life, especially when Lucas and she started dating. She had no idea why both of them kept quiet during the whole break up. "What is it?"

"Well, you know how your father and I went to the same college?"

"Yeah…Pennbrook, right?"

"Yep. Well, I almost didn't go."

"What?" Another story Riley had never heard. How many stories had they not shared with her?

"I got into Yale."

Riley's mouth fell open. "How have I not heard this?"

Topanga shrugged. "It's not a big deal now. It was then though. Your father told me I could go if I wanted to."

Riley was so confused. That didn't sound like her father at all. He was more stubborn than she was. She had a hard time believing that her dad would just let her mom leave him. "But you didn't go."

"I didn't. But when he acted like he would be ok with me leaving, and he let me make that decision for myself, I knew I wanted to stay."

"Huh?" Riley was so confused. Her head started to pound even more.

"He didn't want me to go. Not really. He knew that if that was what I truly wanted, that if that's what would make me happy, he would let me go. He wasn't going to hold me back."

"Oh," some things were starting to click into place for her. This story was starting to seem very familiar to her.

"I even talked with Mr. Feeney about. He told me unless I had a good reason to stay, that I should go."

"You stayed because of dad?" She saw her mother nod. "Ok, but Lucas is definitely going to Texas."

Topanga gave her daughter a small smile. "Does he know that he has an option?"

"Well, he got into NYU too. So, yeah, he knows that he has options."

"You're missing the point. Does he know that you still love him?"

Riley wasn't even going to try to deny it to her mother. Her mom always knew everything. "Mom, I'm not going to be the reason he doesn't get the education he wants."

She shook her head. "I'm not saying that either. NYU has a lot of the same options that A&M does. And with him going into a veterinary program, and needing more than a bachelor's degree in order to become one, he can go to school pretty much anywhere for his undergraduate. Sweetie, you aren't giving him the option to stay right now. He doesn't know that you still love him. He doesn't know that he could be with you. You need to trust him. Maybe he will stay like I did."

Riley looked at her mother skeptically. "We all can't be Cory and Topanga, mom."

"I know that. You are Riley and Lucas. Completely different story. It doesn't mean that the story has to be over or that you won't get a happy ending. Just give him another option. Stop making this decision for him."

Riley's phone buzzed. She looked down. "Speak of the devil." She looked at her mom before texting a response. Once sent, she put her phone down and looked back at her mother. "I'm meeting him in the park this afternoon to talk."

"Tell him how you feel. Hiding it has been making you miserable. You don't deserve that. I know it's scary to put it out there, but he deserves to know how you feel about him."

Riley nodded. Her mother made sense. She was still scared to put herself out there. She sighed. "What if he still goes?"

"Then you can stick with your original plan. Just friends. At this point, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain."

* * *

Riley still had a slight headache when she went to the park later that afternoon. The sunglasses she wore helped some, but she knew another reason she wore them was so she didn't have to look him in the eyes when she talked to him. She sat on one of the park's benches, fidgeting. She was dreading this, but knew that she had to address what had transpired the night before. She also knew she had to tell him how she felt. When she saw him, she gave him a small smile, but didn't stand up to greet him. "Hey."

"Hey." He sat down next to her.

They were both silent for a few minutes, both of them lost in thought, both of them unsure about how to speak to the other one. Riley was the first to break the silence, "Thanks for taking care of Maya and me last night. From what I remember we were…a mess."

"It's ok. Did your parents find out?"

"Yeah, my mom knows," she chuckled, "I'm not in trouble, oddly enough. Apparently my dad did the same thing when he was my age. She just wants me to make smarter choices." Riley looked at the ground. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Lucas, I'm sorry."

He nodded. "I am too."

Riley furrowed her eyebrows. What did he have to be sorry about? From everything she remembered, he was going above and beyond to make sure that Maya and she were taken care of. "Did we…ah…what I mean to ask is…did we…because I don't remember…Maya said..."

"Nothing happened, Riley." Lucas knew he was being short with her. He had a million thoughts running through his mind. He didn't sleep at all the previous night. He also had something that he needed to tell Riley. He just wasn't sure how to bring it up to her. He was also unsure about how she would react to his news. He wished things weren't so complicated between them. He wished that they could just go back and be Riley and Lucas without all of the emotional stress of the past several months. He knew it was taking a toll on both of them.

She raised an eyebrow. "Nothing?"

He shook his head. "You…tried…to kiss me. I told you no because…you were drunk. Afterward you led me to the roof and we talked."

After thinking about it for a minute, it made sense. Of course Lucas wouldn't let her kiss him while she wasn't sober. Then again, maybe he just didn't want to kiss her. Riley began to wonder if maybe his feelings for her were changing. After months of trying to win her back, did he finally choose to walk away? She cleared her throat. "We did? About what?"

"Us," he sighed.

Her eyes widened. "What did I say?"

"A lot. You told me that you were happy for me, that you were looking forward to going to school…that we both needed to move past this because you couldn't see us working out if we got back together." He looked at his hands. He couldn't bring himself to look at her right now.

Riley tried to remember any part of that conversation. She was drawing a complete blank. "Lucas, there is something I want to tell you."

"Can I go first?" She nodded. "My grandfather called me a few days ago. He wants me to work on the ranch this summer before school starts. I wasn't planning on going, but I think that maybe after last night…it would be for the best. We both need some space from each other. I didn't understand that before, but after last night, I understand everything clearly."

Riley nodded. She was so confused about everything. She was so tired of dealing with all of this stuff. Just when she finally decided to be honest about how she felt, and to put herself out there to see how he felt, he had made the decision to leave. She felt that he couldn't get away from her fast enough. She also felt the wind get knocked out of her. She tried to take a few deep breaths to steady herself. She wasn't about to cause a scene right now. She didn't want any pity.

He looked down at his hands. "I'll be back for a few weeks before the semester starts."

Riley nodded again. She knew he wasn't looking at her, but she just couldn't form any words. She was just trying to focus on pushing air into her lungs.

He finally turned to look at her. She looked gorgeous. She probably wouldn't agree because her hair was pulled back into a messy bun, she was dressed down in blue jeans and a plain white tank top. Her sunglasses hid half of her face from him, probably to block out the sun. She still looked perfect. "What were you going to say?"

"Nothing," she said softly. "Nothing important." So this was it. He was leaving. Yeah, he would be back to visit for a few weeks, but his home was in Texas now. Two thousand miles away. ' _Stay,'_ her head screamed at her to tell him. _'Stay with me. Don't leave,'_ it pleaded. Riley remained silent.


	9. Chapter Eight

_**A/N: SUPER long chapter. I almost split it into two chapters, but since I'm really not feeling either chapter, I figured I'd lump it together. I must've read this 100 times and I'm still not completely satisfied with it, but it gets us to where we need to go. Good news is that this is the last chapter before we are all caught up with the prologue and it's the last chapter that I'm not 100% satisfied with. Again, sorry if you aren't feeling this chapter. Stick with me, it'll be worth it, I promise. :)**_

* * *

Chapter Eight

Two months later…

Maya and Riley lounged on a blanket in the park, enjoying the warm August sun. The summer flew by, but both girls made the most of it. They signed up for classes together, went to their freshman orientation together, and accompanied Farkle multiple times to the country club his family were members of. They tried playing tennis one day, but quickly gave up on that when the automatic ball pitcher malfunctioned and wouldn't stop launching balls at Maya and Riley. They all tried golf, but decided it wasn't fun fishing the balls out of the water and the woods. Their game also lasted for 6 hours and Maya accidentally drove the golf cart into the water…twice. After that, they just decided to lounge around the pool.

Riley still wasn't as outgoing as she used to be, her smile never seemed to reach her eyes, and she would still shut down whenever anyone mentioned Lucas to her. Lucas. When he first left, Riley told herself that she wouldn't be the first person to contact him. She knew that she was now playing by his rules. He texted her as soon as he arrived in Texas. He texted her almost every day the first month he was gone. After that, the texts came fewer and farther in between. And now, Riley hadn't heard from him at all in two weeks. She had typed out messages to him several times over the last few months, but couldn't bring herself to hit the send button. Maybe he really meant it when he said they needed space? Maybe he lost interest or met someone else in Texas, she reasoned. Either way, she felt herself shutting everyone out again. She didn't want to. She just didn't quite know how to adjust to life without Lucas in it. She had moments of depression, moments of anger, and moments where she actually almost felt normal again. A part of her was almost relieved when he stopped texting her. She didn't have a reason to carry her phone everywhere anymore. So, she left it at home. If anyone needed to reach her, they had Maya's number.

She wasn't sure how she was going to react when he came back to the city. Part of her wanted to run away until he left again. Part of her wanted to run into his arms and beg him to stay. She knew she wouldn't be able to do either option. She knew she had to pretend…like she had been doing all summer. She stared up at the clouds, her headphones on. She was grateful for Maya and Farkle. They both actually helped her enjoy the summer and helped her to forget, even if just a few hours, how heartbroken she felt. She also hung out with DJ John a few times as well. She went to a few of his gigs and even got to DJ a few songs. He showed her how to create her own mixes. He was becoming a great mentor to her. He gave her some of his old mixing equipment which helped Riley pass the time when summer nights felt especially lonely. Riley never talked about how she felt, and always acted like everything was fine, even with Maya. She figured that if she kept pretending long enough, she would actually be ok and she wouldn't have to pretend anymore. So far, it wasn't working very well.

She rolled over onto her stomach and grabbed one of the magazines they brought to the park. "Two more weeks til classes start." She flipped through the magazine, humming along to the song she was listening to.

"Don't remind me, Riles. It's been a great day." Maya closed her eyes as she listened to her best friend hum. "Wait a minute!" She sat up and looked at Riley. "What are you listening to?!"

Riley's eyes grew big. "Uh….nothing. Nothing at all."

Maya narrowed her eyes and reached for Riley's ipod. "Mmhmm…Riley, you promised!"

Riley let out a frustrated breath. "I know. I'm sorry."

"What did we agree on?"

"No Taylor, no Sia, no Florence, no Adele, no female singers of any kind."

Maya slid her sunglasses down her nose to give Riley a knowing look. "And…?"

Riley cringed. "Nothing at all unless it was rap music, heavy metal, or classical."

"And what are you listening to?"

"Taylor Swift."

"Is it her much anticipated heavy metal album?"

"No."

"Give it here." Maya held out her hand. Riley took her earbuds out and handed her ipod to Maya.

"Some DJ I'm going to be. Here guys, let me mix up some Kanye with Mozart."

"Well, when you complete your rehab program, you'll get it back."

"Rehab?"

"Listen, Riles, you have come a long way since all of this got started. But it's me…I know you're still upset."

Riley shook her head. "I'm fine."

"No, you aren't."

"Maya, I'm fine. He moved on. I'm moving on. Nothing more to say."

"You're moving on?" Maya was skeptical, and she knew Riley was still heartbroken, but she had a point. Riley hadn't talked about Lucas all summer. She even stopped carrying her phone around with her. Sure she was faking all the smiles and laughs, but Maya hadn't seen Riley cry at all since he left. Maybe she was headed in the right direction.

Riley nodded. "I've been hanging out with John, haven't I? He's a guy. A cute guy."

"A cute guy who wants to take you out, but you keep saying no to."

"Just because I don't want to date right now doesn't mean I'm not over him."

"Him? He has a name, Riley."

Riley tossed the magazine away. She was starting to get frustrated with the conversation. She just wanted a peaceful day with her best friend, not talk about people who were two thousand miles away. "Lucas, ok? I'm over Lucas. Can we please talk about something else? We've had a great summer. Don't ruin it in the last few weeks." She reached for a different magazine.

Maya's phone buzzed. She sighed, picking up the device. She slid her sunglasses down her nose so she could read the message. "We need to go soon."

Riley flipped through the pages of the magazine. "Hmm…why?"

"Farkle is moving into his place today. He wants help unpacking and setting things up."

"That should be fun." Riley paused. "I can't believe his dad got him his own place."

"One last thing…" Maya slid her sunglasses back in place.

"What's that?"

"Lucas will be there," she said nonchalantly as she looked at her nails.

Riley closed the magazine. "He's back?"

"Apparently." Maya sat up. "You ready?"

Riley considered running through the park screaming, but thought better of it. She knew Maya was worried about her. She didn't want Maya to worry. She wanted to be normal. She wanted to be ok seeing her exboyfriend. She didn't want the group's dynamic to shift and for everyone to take sides. It wasn't fair to them. She already felt guilty for dragging Farkle and Maya into it to begin with. "Yeah," she finally said as she moved to stand up. She grinned at Maya, "Let's go help Farkle decorate."

Maya wasn't fooled. She knew Riley was scared to see Lucas again.

* * *

"This place is incredible, Farkle" Maya said when they reached his apartment. Sky high ceilings, hard wood floors, fireplaces, marble countertops. "You need a roommate?"

Farkle grinned as he watched the girls walk around his new place in awe. "Actually, I would like to have one. It's a two bedroom."

"Hey," Riley complained, "You're supposed to be living with me, Maya."

Maya looked at her, hands bobbing up and down like she was weighing her options. "Cramped dorm room or my own room with a fireplace and a balcony. Tough choice, Riles."

"But you'll have me in the dorm," Riley reasoned.

Maya laughed. "I'm kidding, Riley," she paused, "Sort of."

"You guys can come over whenever you want to. Here," Farkle handed the girls each a key to the apartment. "Even if I'm not here and you just want to get away from campus."

"So where do you want to start, Farkle," Maya asked, looking at all of the boxes in the living room.

"How about my room?" He wiggled his eyebrows.

The girls rolled their eyes. "How about the living room," Riley suggested.

"That works," Farkle relented. His apartment buzzed. "Maybe that's the pizza." He walked over to the intercom.

"It's Lucas."

Riley stiffened, but continued to walk toward the first box, pretending that she didn't hear his voice. Farkle and Maya gave each other a look, before Farkle went over to the speaker box. "Come on up." He turned to the girls. "I've always wanted to say that."

Riley tried to brace herself…for what, she didn't know. She watched Farkle out of the corner of her eye as he opened the door. Her breath hitched when she saw him. He looked fantastic. He looked even more perfect than what she remembered. _'How is that possible?'_ She turned to face him as he greeted Farkle, then Maya.

"Welcome back, Ranger Rick," Maya said as she hugged him.

He laughed. "Thanks, Maya."

"How long are you going to be here for?"

"Two weeks." His eyes shifted over to Riley. He had to catch his breath. She looked even more amazing than he remembered. _'How is that possible?'_ He smiled at her.

She mimicked his smile the best she could. "Hey," she said.

"Hey."

They awkwardly waved at one another. Maya rolled her eyes. These two were definitely cut from the same cloth. "Let's get this started."

* * *

"Not bad for a day's work," Maya mused as they finished unpacking the last box in the master bathroom. The four friends walked back into the living room.

"Thanks for helping me, guys. I'm not really good with the whole decorating thing." Farkle looked around. "Definitely feels like home now."

"Yeah," Maya replied, plopping down on the couch and stretching her feet out on the coffee table. "I'll be over here when she starts to drive me crazy," she nodded her head in Riley's direction.

Riley chuckled, "Thanks a lot."

"This place is really nice," Lucas said as he looked around. He turned to Farkle, "Thanks for offering to host the party here."

"Party," Maya lifted her eyebrows.

"Yeah, I'm throwing Lucas a going away party the night before he leaves," Farkle grabbed a slice of pizza.

"Are we not invited Huckleberry?" Maya sat up, removing her feet from the coffee table.

"Of course you are. Farkle only brought it up to me yesterday, so we haven't talked logistics yet."

Riley remained quiet. _'Going away party. Already? He just got back here.'_ As much as she knew that he was going to leave again, it didn't quite hit her until that moment. She bit the inside of her cheek to try to keep from crying. She walked over to the French doors that led out onto the balcony and stared outside for a moment. She didn't want anyone to see the tears that had formed in her eyes. She cleared her throat, trying to control her emotions. "This view is incredible, Farkle."

Farkle walked over to where Riley stood. "It's pretty amazing. You should see the view from the rooftop pool."

"Rooftop pool?"

Maya stood up, "Farkle, we thought you loved us. Why did you not tell us this?"

He shrugged. "Wanna check it out?"

"Yes," the girls replied simultaneously. Maya sprinted to the door, Farkle not far behind her. Riley started towards the door.

"Hey, Riley, can you wait a minute," Lucas asked.

' _Crap.'_ She turned to face him. "Yeah, what's up?"

"Nothing…just wanted to talk since we haven't done much of it the last few weeks." He looked down. "How are you?"

"I'm good," she lied. "You know, just getting ready for school, hanging out with Maya and Farkle. Oh, I've been working on the whole djing thing."

Lucas smiled at her. "That's awesome, Riles."

"Yeah," she smiled back at him, "John has really been helping me."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "John?"

"The DJ at prom. He's given me some of his mixing equipment and he's been helping me do some of my own mixes. I've even gotten to play some of them at a few of his gigs this summer."

"Oh," Lucas's mind started racing. No wonder she was too busy to text him. Figures she would move on. He didn't expect her to remain single for long. She was the perfect woman. He was trying to prepare himself for it, but nothing could prepare him for the way his heart sunk into his stomach. He felt nauseous.

"Yeah. He even knows the professor of the music mixing class at NYU and was able to get me in as a freshman, can you believe that?"

"That's…awesome, Riles." A pang of jealousy hit him. Were they just friends…or?

Riley gave him a small smile. "How was your summer?" She was surprised that conversation with him seemed easy after everything. Maybe they actually could salvage a friendship out of this.

"Good," he lied. "Worked on the ranch, hung out with some of my friends." _'Couldn't stop thinking about you,'_ he thought.

Riley nodded. "I'm glad."

A few moments of silence passed between them before Lucas cleared his throat. "Can we…hang out while I'm here?"

She smiled…the first real smile in months. "I'd love that, Lucas."

* * *

Two weeks flew by for the four friends who would soon be down to three. Riley and Lucas saw each other every day. Most days Maya and Farkle were there too, but there were a few days that Riley and Lucas were alone. It wasn't awkward…quite the opposite. Everything felt right with the world. They had picnics and walks in the park, went to a few of the museums around the city, went to a Broadway show, visited the Empire State Building, went to Ellis Island, and several other NYC landmarks. Riley wanted Lucas to have the full experience before he left. She wanted to have as many perfect memories with him as possible.

In a blink, it was the night before he was going to leave. It was the night of his party at Farkle's. The girls were able to convince their parents to spend the night at Farkle's. Of course they were going to sleep in his spare bedroom. The party began at 8. About thirty of Lucas's friends showed up, so needless to say, it got a little crowded in Farkle's living room. Lucas let Farkle handle the guest list…he just didn't think this many people would show up. He wished it was only the four of them, as it really had been since he moved to the city. He looked across the room and saw Riley talking to someone Lucas wasn't familiar with. The guy looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place him.

Maya walked up behind Lucas and tapped him on the shoulder. "Whatcha looking at, huckleberry?"

"Nothing," he shrugged.

Maya smiled. "Mmhmm…whole lot of nothing there."

Lucas sighed. He knew he had been caught looking at her. Might as well pump Maya for some information. "Who is Riley talking to?"

She looked over to where Riley sat on the arm of the couch, a tall, dark, and handsome college guy standing in front of her. "Oh, that's John. Have you met him? He was the DJ at prom."

"That's him?" Lucas eyed them for a moment. She saw John say something to Riley which made her laugh. Lucas flinched. "Maya, are they…together?"

"No," Maya picked up a potato chip and popped it into her mouth, "But he wants to."

Lucas turned to look at Maya. "Did she tell you that?"

"No…he did."

"Huh?" He looked back at the topic of their conversation.

Maya sighed. "We have all hung out a few times over summer. He and I have talked about her. He could tell she always seemed…preoccupied. He wanted to know why. I told him why. So, he's waiting…" Maya grabbed another chip and put it in her mouth.

"For what?" Lucas couldn't take his eyes off of them. John seemed very attentive of Riley and interested in whatever she was talking about. It was obvious that he liked her.

Maya put her hands on her hips. "Are you kidding me? There is no way that you are that dense."

"What are you talking about, Maya?"

"Oh my God, you are that dense!" She gestured to where Riley and John stood. "Look at her. Look at how she's talking to him…her body language. She seems friendly enough with him, right? But her arms are crossed and she isn't really engaging with him. And her laugh...that's not her real laugh. It's her 'I'm ok, I promise' laugh. Now, remember when we showed up a few hours ago and she started talking to you…she was smiling…she was laughing…she even touched your arm when you said something that made her laugh. Her real laugh. Not the fake that we all seem to have grown accustomed to these last six months. Her real smile. Her real laugh." She paused. When Lucas just gave her a confused look, she smacked his forehead. "Seriously?! I'll spell it out for you. She's still in love with you, you moron!"

It took Lucas a full minute to process it. How was that even possible? She only texted him over the summer after he would ask her something or start the conversation. She never went out of her way to call him or text him. He left the city because it was what she wanted. It made no sense to him that she could still have feelings for him. "What? No she isn't, Maya."

"Are you completely stupid when it comes to her? Of course she is. She's never stopped."

"Then why hasn't she said anything about it to me? Why didn't she text me this summer? I had to text her first every time. I stopped to see if she actually wanted to talk to me. She never did. I'm pretty sure she doesn't care about me like that anymore."

"You're leaving. She thinks being with her would hold you back from experiencing college and you'd resent her for it. She thinks you two would eventually break up and risk losing your friendship. She figured having you as a friend was better than to risk losing you completely."

Lucas shook his head. "Maya, I think you're off base on this one."

"Am I?" She sighed. "Think about it for a while…then come talk to me about it." She grabbed another chip and walked past him and over to the topic of their conversation. Maya leaned over to whisper something in Riley's ear. Lucas watched Riley's smile fade as her eyes locked on his. She leaned back and frowned at Maya.

* * *

"Are you crazy, Maya?! Why did you do that?"

She shrugged. "He needs to know, Riles."

Riley grabbed Maya's arm and ushered her toward the balcony. "Sorry, John, I need to speak with my soon to be ex-best friend."

"It's…ok," he tried to tell her, but the girls were already out of earshot.

Riley practically dragged Maya outside. She closed the French doors behind her so no one would overhear them. "Maya, I'm so mad at you right now, it's not even funny."

"Riley, he needs to know."

"No, he doesn't…because I don't feel that way about him anymore." She placed her hands on the balcony railing and looked at their view of the city. Maya didn't say anything. It only took a minute of silence for Riley to crack. "There is nothing we can do about it…even if he felt the same way." She looked down at her hands.

"Good God. Y'all must share the same stupid brain when it comes to one another. Riley...he loves you. You know it. I know it. We all know it." Maya waved her hands around for and added dramatic effect.

Riley turned to look back inside. It only took her a second to see Lucas…talking to Missy. "Hmm…yeah he seems pretty broken up about leaving, doesn't he?" She watched as Missy and he seemed to be laughing over something. When she saw Missy touch his arm, she turned back around.

"Riley, you two spent every day together."

"Yeah. We haven't seen him all summer and he's leaving for at least six more months tomorrow," she shrugged. "Of course we would hang out."

"Oh come on," Maya stood next to her friend and leaned on the railing. "I'm not Farkle or anyone else in the world. It's me. I know you. I know you want him to stay."

She was quiet for a moment. She finally turned her face toward Maya, who was surprised to see tears streaming down her face. "I do," she confessed, voicing her one wish for the first time. "I want him to stay. I want…I want him to want to stay. I want to wake up from this six month long nightmare." She swallowed, finally letting out everything she tried to bury for six months. "I've tried hating him…didn't work. I've tried ignoring him…didn't work. I've tried being friends with him…it's not working. I don't know what to do." She sighed, "I want to fast forward to the day where this pain in my chest goes away. I want…to not love him anymore. It hurts. Sometimes it hurts so much that I can't breathe." Her voice cracked as she began to sob.

"Aw, Riles," Maya soothed as she hugged her best friend. "It's going to be ok."

Riley sniffed. She leaned back and started wiping her eyes. "How do you know that?"

"You deserve to be happy more than anyone else on this planet. You will be happy."

* * *

Riley looked down at her best friend who was snoring on Farkle's guest bed. She was never more grateful that Maya was a sound sleeper. She laid the note on top of Maya's overnight bag, so Riley was sure she would see it. She slowly walked into the living room, a second note in her hand. She stopped when she saw Lucas asleep on the couch. She bit her lip as she looked around the room. She noticed his luggage at the end of the couch. She slowly walked toward it, her breath uneasy. She laid the note on top of his luggage and turned to face him. "Goodbye, Lucas," she said softly before walking toward the door. She opened it, paused, then turned around to get one last look at him. "I love you," she whispered before stepping over the threshold, closing the door behind her.

* * *

Lucas rolled over, his eyes fluttering open. He noticed that the sun was up. He shot up and reached for his cell phone. "Guys," he yelled, "I'm going to miss my flight!" He jumped up and ran to Farkle's room. He pounded on the door. "We overslept! My flight leaves in two hours!" He ran over to the guest bedroom door and knocked. "Riley, Maya….we have to leave soon! We overslept!" He ran over to his bags to grab a change of clothes when he saw the note on top of his bags. He picked it up, immediately noticing Riley's handwriting. He opened the envelope, scanning the contents. He frowned when he finished, crumpling the note. He tossed it to the side as he searched for some clothes.

Maya stumbled out of the room, hair completely knotted up. She only had one eye opened. "W-what's going on?"

"We have to leave. I'm going to miss my flight," Lucas said firmly, pulling out a change of clothes from his carryon bag.

She looked around. "Where's Riley?"

"Gone," he said simply.

Maya immediately shook the sleepiness away. "What?"

Lucas turned to where the note was laying on the couch, he picked it up and walked over to Maya, handing her the note. "I told you she didn't care, Maya."

Maya looked at him quizzically before smoothing the note out. It read:

 _'Dear Lucas:_

 _I'm sorry, but I'm not going to be able to go to the airport with you guys. I totally forgot that I promised mom that I would open up Topanga's this morning. She called me early this morning, frantic that I wasn't there. I'm sorry. Have fun in Texas. Don't forget to stay in contact._

 _~Riley'_

Maya frowned. She knew that Riley's parents knew Lucas was leaving this morning. Why would her mother ask her to open up the bakery? She looked up at Lucas. "It doesn't mean she doesn't care."

"She couldn't have found someone else do it? Not even your mom?"

"Let me see if mom can do it," Maya said, pulling out her phone and dialing.

"Maya, don't worry about—"

"Hey mom! Yeah, the party was great. What are you—at the bakery?! Is Riley there? Oh. Weird. Ok. Thanks, mom." Maya looked at Lucas. "My mom opened the bakery this morning. Riley wasn't there."

Lucas scoffed. "Well, that makes me feel a lot better," he said sarcastically, "She lied." He looked at his phone again. "I don't have time for this. Let's just change and go."

Maya nodded, dumbfounded. She went back into the bedroom. She saw a note laying on top of her luggage. She set it to the side as she unzipped her bag, pulling out some clothes.

* * *

The three friends were silent as they rode in the cab on the way to the airport. Lucas was anxious, checking the time on his phone every few seconds. He was fidgeting the whole time. Maya sighed. She couldn't understand why Riley would leave and lie about it like that. She suddenly remembered the letter. She reached into her purse and pulled it out. She opened it and read the contents. Her eyes grew big. "Lucas."

"What is it Maya? We only have an hour before my flight leaves. God, I hope I can get check in in time." The cab pulled up outside of the airport. The three friends climbed out of the cab, grabbed Lucas's luggage and ran inside. Lucas turned to them. "Sorry this is rushed, but I have to go." He hugged Farkle. "Thanks for everything, man."

"You always have a place to stay whenever you come back."

He turned to Maya. "Thanks for trying, Maya."

"Lucas," she handed him the letter, "Please read that while you wait to board."

"What is it?"

"From Riley."

He nodded. He leaned down and hugged her. "See you guys in a few months." He smiled at them before turning and walking toward his gate.

* * *

After getting checked in, Lucas sat down in one of the chairs. He leaned down and pulled the note out of his carry-on bag.

 _'Maya,_

 _How am I supposed to say good-bye to someone I've been in love with for so long? How can I stand there and smile and wave and watch him literally walk away from me? I can't. Maya, I've been trying to act supportive for so long that I actually thought I would be able to do this. How do you say goodbye to your heart? I knew I loved him when I told him to go. Not the high school, first love kind of love. The real stuff. When you really love someone, you put what they want above your own needs and wants. He wants Texas. I can't stand in the way of that. He's wanted this longer than he's known us._

 _I almost asked him to stay once. The day after prom. He seemed so determined to go though. I couldn't bring myself to beg him to stay._

 _I'm getting better, I promise. I just need a day. I'm turning my phone off. Give me today to wallow. I'll meet you at the bakery tomorrow morning at 10. I promise I'll be better by then. I promise that things will be better._

 _~Riley'_

Lucas leaned back in his seat, his thoughts racing, his heart pounding. All this time she did care. He heard the flight attendant announce that they were now boarding for his flight. He stood up, grabbed his carry-on bag, and headed toward the gate.


	10. Chapter Nine - M Rated!

_**A/N: Here it is. The first chapter I wrote in this whole fic. I'm changing the rating of the story to "m" for this one chapter, although it is not graphic (in my opinion), but since it does deal with a sensitive subject, better to be safe than sorry. I know there are a lot of young readers on here, so it's more precautionary than anything. I'm not good at writing descriptive scenes of this nature, as it will show as you read, but I am going for a more emotional feel with this chapter. And don't worry, "the talk" is coming up next. There are a lot of things that need to be addressed. I know I'm disappointing a few people with the direction I'm taking in this story, but bear in mind that I am working on a sequel, so don't give up on me yet.**_

 _ **Two songs are used in this chapter: Lana Del Ray "Young and Beautiful" and Sia "Fire Meet Gasoline". This whole fic was inspired by "Fire Meet Gasoline", so I hope you enjoy it. :)**_

* * *

Chapter Nine

Riley sat up and looked around her room. Pictures of her and her friends were everywhere. She looked over at her nightstand where she had a framed picture of the four of them in their Halloween costumes when they were in 7th grade. _'Life was so much easier then,'_ she mused. She stood up and walked toward her dresser, wiping the new rush of tears away from her face. She found her sweats and went to the bathroom to change her clothes. She wasn't about to go anywhere any time soon, so at the very least, she could be comfortable while she wallowed in her misery. She walked back in her room, pulling her hair back into a messy bun. She sat back down on her bed and closed her eyes, humming along to the Lana Del Ray song that was currently playing on her laptop. A few more tears trickled down her face as she let the music sweep her away. _"He's my sun, he makes me shine like diamonds,"_ she softly sang along. She kept her eyes closed as she wiped the tears away. Her eyes flew open when she heard a noise come from her window. _Maya._ She rolled her eyes as she walked towards the window.

"Maya, I told you I just want to be left…" her words trailed off as she came face to face with the greenest eyes she ever saw. Familiar eyes. Eyes that definitely did not belong to Maya. Her hands shook as she fumbled around with the lock on the window. When she finally managed to unlock and open it, she backed up until the back of her legs hit her bed frame. "Lucas? What are you—"

He was soaked from head to toe and shaking from the unusually cold rain shower that had taken over New York. He didn't speak, couldn't tear his eyes away from her. The goddess who haunted his dreams and reality for the last 6 years. Six years of memories. Six years of friendship. Three and a half years of dating. She was…everything to him. He didn't know what to say. They both knew he should be in the sky right now, on the way to Texas and out of her life, but when it came time to leave, he couldn't. He had taken approximately three steps toward the gate before turning around, running out of the airport. He didn't even think about it when he told the cab driver that he would pay triple the rate if he could make it to the Matthews' place in 30 minutes. When he arrived, he thought about ringing the doorbell, but just as he reached for the buzzer, he looked up and saw her by her bay window, lost in thought. He watched her for a moment, saw the tears form in her eyes and watched her leave the room. When he saw her re-enter, he knew that he had to get to her as soon as possible. No more waiting. So he began to climb the fire escape he knew like the back of his hand. He made it up the steps two at a time. He had to get to her, had to let her know how he felt.

Now that he was right in front of her, words escaped him. Everything he had planned to say in the cab ride over had completely escaped him. Even with puffy eyes and in her slightly ripped sweats, she was perfection. He reached her in two strides, his hands cupped her cheeks and he pulled her face to his.

Their lips met, but it was unlike every other kiss they had shared. This was something neither of them had ever experienced. This was pure need, pure love. They both only thought about one thing: each other. It felt like their souls needed one another. Nothing felt more right in the world than them being there, melting in each other's arms. Sia's voice filled the room as Riley's playlist continued:

' _It's dangerous to fall in love  
But I want to burn with you tonight  
Hurt me  
There's two of us  
Bristling with desire  
The pleasure's pain and fire  
Burn me'_

As they kissed, their whole bodies became electrified. Lucas's hands went from Riley's cheeks down to her lower back, pulling her closer to him. Riley, not wanting him to let her go, snaked her arms around his neck, pulling him as close to her as possible, a few of the tears on her cheeks rubbing off on his. Her hands slid down from his neck, to his shoulder blades, down his back, to his hips. It felt like his skin was on fire wherever she touched him. Her fingers found the hem of his shirt and she tugged it up. Their lips broke apart for barely a second so Riley could take off his shirt.

Lucas gazed into Riley's eyes for a moment before he spoke, "Riley, are you—"

She put a finger to his lips to silence him. He took the opportunity to lightly kiss it while she spoke. "I _need_ you, Lucas." She replaced her finger with her lips as they fused together once more. He put one of his hands behind her head as she moved to sit on the bed. Her warm hands grabbed his broad shoulders as she pulled him closer to her. They fell back on the bed, Riley pinned underneath Lucas.

 _'So come on  
I'll take you on, take you on  
I ache for love, ache for us  
Why don't you come  
Don't you come a little closer  
So come on now  
Strike the match, strike the match now  
We're a perfect match, perfect somehow  
We were meant for one another  
Come a little closer'  
_

"You're everything," he told her, "always have been…always will be." Riley sat up and grabbed the hem of her sweatshirt before tugging it over her head.

She leaned into him and kissed him with every feeling she had for him. Six years of memories with him. Good times, bad times…no matter what, they always seemed to make it through, her feelings growing stronger and stronger for him through every trial that came their way, be it little or big. This wasn't just puppy love anymore.

They never broke eye contact, even as Riley removed her sports bra. Once removed, she grabbed his shoulders and pulled him to her once again as their lips continued to consume one another's.

 _'And I can barely breathe  
When you're here loving me  
Fire meet gasoline  
Burn with me tonight'_

She rolled them both over so she was on top of him. She leaned down and starting kissing his neck. Lucas moaned. It felt like her lips were scorching his skin as she made a trail down his neck, to his chest, down to his abs. She stopped when she reached his jeans. Sitting back up, she started fumbling to unbutton them.  
 _  
'And we will fly  
Like smoke darknin' the skies  
I'm Eve, I want to try  
Take a bite'_

Lucas grabbed her trembling hands and rolled them back over so he was back in control. "Riley, if you want to stop—"

"No," she practically growled at him. She put her hand on either side of his face and pulled his face to her so they were eye to eye. "Take your pants off. _Now._ "

 _'So come on now  
Strike the match, strike the match now  
We're a perfect match, perfect somehow  
We were meant for one another  
Come a little closer'_

Nothing more was said. As Lucas removed his pants, Riley slipped her sweatpants off. Neither one of them could logically think about what they were doing. They wouldn't allow themselves to. This was something both of them had agreed to wait to do until the time was right. Riley was always scared that when the time came, that it would be awkward or that she would do something to screw it up. She was insecure about her body and letting Lucas see it. She was scared she wouldn't be good. None of those thoughts entered her mind now. All she could think about was how perfect this felt. Lucas leaned down and started kissing her neck. Riley felt like her whole body was about to explode. They had previously had intense makeout sessions before, but this was something so much more. She had to have him. In the back of her mind, she was trying to prepare herself for the pain that was about to come. She winced slightly when Lucas finally entered her, but instead of crying out in pain, she moaned in pleasure.

 _'I'm burning alive  
And I can barely breathe  
When you're here loving me  
Fire meet gasoline  
Burn with me tonight'_

After six years of knowing each other, they finally became one. Riley thought she was going to explode. This was everything and more. She felt alive. She felt whole. She felt safe. She felt…happy. Her connection with this guy, the guy she had been in love with for six years was stronger than ever. She felt like she could almost read his thoughts as they moved together. This thing that she was so scared of for so long felt like the most natural thing in the world to her. She couldn't get enough of it.

 _'But it's a bad debt  
Certain death  
But I want what I want  
And I gotta get it'  
_

Lucas couldn't form a single cohesive thought. All he could think about was the beautiful angel underneath him. He kept hoping that this wasn't another one of the several dreams he had about Riley over the years. If it was, it was definitely the best one. This was a perfect moment. They didn't think, they just felt. As much as he has wanted to express his love for Riley for the last few years, he was a teenage guy with teenage hormones after all, he was still nervous about it. He didn't want to rush her or hurt her or push her away. When he heard her first moan, he nearly came right then and there. He wouldn't allow himself to give in, not yet, anyway. He wanted to hear more from her. He wanted her to feel as good as he felt, as alive as he felt.

 _'I can barely breathe  
When you're here loving me  
Fire meet gasoline  
Fire meet gasoline  
I got all I need  
When you came after me  
Fire meet gasoline  
I'm burning alive'_

"Lucas," Riley gasped, her breathing heavy, "Oh God," she moaned.

Lucas stopped kissing her neck and lifted his head. He looked into her eyes for a moment before capturing her lips with his.

Riley dug her nails into Lucas's back as the pleasure overtook her. She moaned into Lucas's mouth.

Lucas felt her body tense up, and that sent him over the edge. He moaned right back into her mouth as his body convulsed. They broke their kiss, both of them panting. They stared at each other for a moment before Lucas kissed her gently. He moved to lay beside her. Riley rolled on her side and draped her arm around his waist. Lucas wrapped his arms around her and kissed her once more on the top of her head. He closed his eyes.

 _'And I can barely breathe  
When you're here loving me  
Fire meet gasoline  
Burn with me tonight'_


	11. Chapter Ten

_**A/N: This is the last chapter of "Stay". I originally had it continuing for another two chapters, but this ending feels right to me. I'm also posting the first chapter of it's sequel, "Go", so look for it, and let me know what you think. :) Also, I'm working on a semi-short story entitled "Girl Meets the Return of Game Night". It's going to be set post semi-formal. I don't know what's going to happen in that episode, but I'm trying to incorporate some of the "rumors" for the episode and have it all come out during a game night (which is my FAVORITE episode and my secret wish is that there will eventually be another one).  
**_

 _ **Thank you so much for the reviews on the last part. I am so glad that the two things I set out to achieve with that chapter were realized: (a) keeping it classy and (b) have it be emotionally satisfying. I built the whole story around the reunion and I wanted you guys to feel that emotional satisfaction when they were finally reunited. A few of my previous drafts of the whole story had them sharing a few kisses before that moment, but I decided at the last minute that it would be so much sweeter if I waited. It makes me so happy that you guys saw that and felt the same way I did. I hope you all enjoyed the story. Thanks for reading and for the feedback. :)**_

* * *

Chapter Ten

Riley smiled in her sleep. She knew it wasn't healthy to dream about him now that it was over, but what a dream. She could almost feel his arms around her. She snuggled further into her pillow. Her eyes opened. This was no dream and she was not snuggling into a pillow. She looked up and her eyes met his.

"Hey," he said simply.

"Hey," she replied shyly. "What time is it?"

"About two in the afternoon." His fingers began to lightly rub her back. "Did you sleep well?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I haven't slept very well since…" her voice trailed off.

"Me either," he confessed.

"So, did you fall asleep?"

"No." She looked up at him. "I didn't want to sleep. I didn't want this to be a dream."

"Oh." She closed her eyes for a moment. This felt so natural, so right. Part of her just wanted them to lay like this, entwined in each other's arms forever. The more logical side knew that they had a lot to discuss. "So…"

Lucas wasn't sure how to bring any of it up, or even where to start. He searched his mind for a moment. "Maya let me read the letter that you wrote her."

Riley's head snapped up. "She did what?!"

He looked down at her. "Yeah. She told me last night that you still had feelings for me, but I wouldn't believe it. From the way you've acted and the things you said, I thought she was wrong. I got your letter this morning and showed it to her, hoping that she would understand that we were just friends and that you didn't care about me in that way anymore. Well, when they dropped me off, she handed me the letter you wrote her." He watched as she sat up and turned to him. He sat up as well so they were face to face with one another. "Is it true, Riley? What you wrote to her…is it true?"

Riley didn't speak. She only nodded and looked down.

"Why? Why didn't you tell me any of this?"

She didn't look up at him. This whole time she thought she was doing the responsible thing, the noble thing. The conversation with her mother came back to her. She knew her mom was right…her mom was always right. Riley knew that Lucas had to know the truth…even if it was months after the fact. "I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought if I told you how I felt that you…you'd stay for the wrong reasons."

"Riley, you didn't give me any choice in the matter." He paused. "Initially, I was never planning on going if I got in. I never wanted to go. You found out about it, and we broke up. When we became friends again, you always seemed so adamant about needing space and wanting me to go. I thought that there was no choice to make." He rubbed the back of his neck in minor frustration. "You took that decision from me."

She looked up at him. "That's what my mom said…the morning after prom. I was going to tell you how I felt, but then you told me about all the stuff I apparently said the night before and how you agreed that we just needed space. How was I supposed to say anything? I thought you were over it."

"Over it? I was never over it, Riley. I went to Texas to try to survive it."

"What happens now?" There, she asked it. The one question she was dying to know the answer to. At the same time, she knew it was potentially the one answer that could kill her.

"Now that I have a say in my own future?" He saw her nod slowly and look away, "I made that decision before I climbed in your window." He took a deep breath. "I'm staying. I want to stay."

"W-w-what about school?"

"Riley, there are about a hundred schools where I can study to become a vet. It's a decision I won't have to make for a while, because first, I have to get through undergrad. I can get my undergraduate degree pretty much anywhere…including NYU. I may end up in Texas post-undergrad, I may not. It's just not a decision that has to be made right this moment."

"It'll be harder for you to get in unless you go there for undergraduate."

"Hey, I'm pretty smart, I'll have you know. I'm not Farkle, or you, but I'm pretty smart. They do take a small number of applicants from other schools. It'll be a lot of work, don't get me wrong, but I want to stay here."

"Why?"

"There are a lot of schools that I can get me to where I want to be one day." He leaned forward and cupped her cheek in his hand. "There is only one Riley. You have been telling everyone for years to chase your dreams, pursue your passions. I have two big dreams: become a vet and be with you. I can reach both by staying. I want to stay."

"Lucas, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything. I thought I was doing the right thing." She took a deep breath. "I want you to stay."

He smiled, the first honest, genuine smile in months. "Was that so hard to say?"

"Apparently," she gave him a small smile, "Took me six months to tell you that."

He leaned in and kissed her softly.

Riley smiled against his lips, but pulled back. "We need to get up."

He chuckled. "Why?"

"We have several calls to make to get you back into NYU."

He nodded. "Yeah, and I need to figure out where my luggage is at in Austin."

She giggled. "Are you sure this is what you want?" She held her hands up. "I swear it's the last time I'm going to ask."

"Yes. I love you, Riley. I want to stay."


End file.
